A Deal's a Deal
by Acanthus Addams
Summary: A Christmas/New Year story. On the eve of Professor Oak's big holiday bash, Misty makes a deal with Brock that she can get him a girlfriend before New Year's Day. Little does she know that there's a pretty embarrassing penalty in store for her should she fail... Pokéshipping with hints of others.
1. Setting the Scene of the Scheme

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Pokémon. Cover art by Cleopatrawolf (DeviantArt).

This story is intended as a sequel of sorts to the song, 'Under the Mistletoe', from the album, 'Pokémon Christmas Bash'. I was originally going to post it as part of my _Trainer and the Tomboy_ collection, but since it's Christmas-themed I decided to flesh it out and make it its own thing.

* * *

A Deal's a Deal

CHAPTER 1: Setting the Scene of the Scheme

"What about Wilhomena?"

"The girl with the marill? What about her?"

"Don't you think she'd want to see you again?"

"It's been four years since we saw her. She probably doesn't even remember who we are."

"Okay…well, how about Temacu? She liked you."

"Oh god no, not her! She was creepy, and she only had a thing for me because I was in the right place at the right time. Remember how she was around that doctor straight after?"

"Ugh, fine, bad idea. Well, we've run out of ones from Johto now, too – was there anyone in Hoenn who noticed you?"

"Er, well, there was this one girl called Natalie who had a bit of a crush on me…"

"I'm listening…"

"But she was only, like, eight or something. Her sister, though, now _she_ was something else…"

"Oh come on! What did I just say about sensible suggestions only?"

"ARGH!" Brock cried, streams of tears pouring comically from his narrow eyes. "This is hopeless! I'll never find a girl in time for the party! I can't believe I've let another New Year's Eve go to waste!"

Beside him, Misty rolled her eyes in an exasperated fashion. She had barely been in Pallet Town for five minutes, and already her old friend had managed to rope her into an intense discussion about his love life…or lack thereof. Finally losing her patience, she slammed her hand down on the table, causing the distressed man to look up at her in shock.

"For Mew's sake, Brock, get a hold of yourself!" she barked, her orange ponytail jiggling around on the left side of her head as she spoke. "You're never going to get any attention from a girl if you keep this up. And besides, the party's not 'til tomorrow night; you've got plenty of time!"

"I, for one, believe there's more to New Year's Eve than just finding a girlfriend," mused Tracey atop a stepladder behind them.

"That's because you've got one," Brock replied bitterly.

"Well, I…er…" the flustered pokémon watcher chuckled nervously before shifting his eyes down to the large pile of streamers in his hand. "That's not the point. Christmas and New Year are supposed to be about friends and family getting together! Isn't that the whole reason you came home a few days before Ash and the others?"

"It's not the _whole_ reason," he corrected. "True, I thought it'd be nice to spend Christmas with my family since the Battle Frontier facilities are so close to home, but I also hadn't seen the Pewter City Nurse Joy in a while, so…"

"Yeah, that sounds about right," laughed Tracey. "Oh, er, mind your head, Misty."

Ducking slightly, the redheaded 17-year-old watched her friend lean over the top of her to fasten another frilly streamer to the wall, humming to himself while he secured it carefully in place. The makeshift ballroom in Professor Oak's laboratory was shaping up to be quite the festive party venue, with brightly coloured decorations hanging from the otherwise grey walls and a large pine tree at the opposite end of the room, its tip almost touching the high ceiling. Tending to the tree were Professor Oak himself, pausing every now and then to stretch out his back, and Delia Ketchum, who smiled to herself as she sorted through a box of shimmering tree ornaments. A warm feeling filled Misty's chest as she surveyed her surroundings, one that took her right back to her time travelling the world with her best friends; yet, as much as she tried to ignore it, a subtle note of disappointment lingered on the end of each sensation of joy and excitement she experienced, building and building until a sad sigh slipped through the young girl's lips.

When she arrived, Delia had told her the disheartening news that Ash, May and Max would not be arriving until the day of the party, a whole three days after they were supposed to. She already knew that Ash had not made it home for Christmas, as his mother had invited her to spend the day at the Ketchum residence along with Professor Oak and his two research assistants, and although she and Delia had grown quite close in recent years, she politely declined, silently convinced that the occasion would simply not be the same without her best friend there to celebrate it with them. In truth, it had only been a few months since she had last seen Ash, briefly travelling with him again to reach the Battle Factory close to her hometown of Cerulean City – but that did not stop her from missing him more and more every time he left.

Before she allowed herself to drift further away, Misty was plucked from her reverie by a shrill cry of "Zu, zu!" coming from in front of her. Looking down, she petted her baby azurill lovingly as it continued to skip from one end of the long buffet table to the other.

"Are you sure I can't help out in any way here, Tracey?" she asked. "I feel really lazy just sitting around while you're nearly breaking your neck on that ladder every five minutes."

Her offer was only half-genuine, however, as the girl was merely getting tired of listening to Brock feeling sorry for himself, and was looking desperately for a way out. "Oh, it's really no trouble, Misty." Tracey smiled down at her, apparently oblivious to her plan. "I'm almost done here, anyway."

"You sure?" she tried again as Brock began to whimper childishly beside her.

"Yep. Thanks for offering, though."

"Dammit," she muttered to herself. Sighing in defeat, she rolled up the sleeves of her red Christmas jumper before turning back to her girl-obsessed friend.

"So there was really only one person in the whole of Hoenn – a child, no less – who found you attractive?" She sighed, trying to hide the boredom in her voice. "You can't think of anyone else?"

Brock stroked his chin in thought. "Well, actually, there was one more. It was fairly recently, too. Her name was Lucy."

Misty sat up in her chair, quickly finding herself interested in the conversation once again. "Ok, that's a good start, I guess. So, how'd you meet her?"

He blushed. "Oh, well, you see, she runs the Battle Pike near Fuchsia City, and-"

On the other side of the table, Gary Oak, who had been uncharacteristically quiet until that point, suddenly broke into a huge coughing fit, sending tiny beads of eggnog flying into the air.

"Wait just a second…" he spluttered, gradually regaining his naturally snarky tone. "Lucy? As in Pike Queen Lucy, the Frontier Brain?"

Brock nodded innocently, causing both Misty's and Gary's eyes to widen in utter disbelief.

"Well? What happened?" Misty probed eagerly.

To their disappointment, however, Brock just shrugged lamely. "Nothing, really. I asked her to travel with us, but Max dragged me away before she could answer."

Gary and Misty looked over at each other, trading incredulous expressions at the words they had just heard. A short silence elapsed as the two teenagers tried their best to wrap their heads around the sheer absurdity of the situation just described to them, broken moments later by a swell of hearty and slightly malevolent-sounding laughter from the far end of the table.

"Are you freaking kidding me?!" Gary panted, his voice somewhere between amusement and disgust. "You managed to get one of the hottest, most desirable women on the planet to come onto you, and you _still_ blew it?! Oh, that's it, that's the final straw right there. This guy's a lost cause, Red."

"I've got to say, Brock, I agree with Gary on this one," Misty muttered disapprovingly. "I mean, how could you let that one get away? I've seen her on TV; she's gorgeous! Hell, I'm straight, and even I'd think twice if she made a pass at me!"

The formerly solemn pokémon breeder's face lit up boyishly at that last remark, causing Misty to smack him hard on the arm. "I was just kidding, pervo. Wipe that look off your face right now!"

Gary smirked, flicking his wild, brown hair and lifting his legs up to rest them on the table, "Well, if there's one thing we can take away from this," he addressed Brock in his signature holier-than-thou fashion, "it's that your inability to get a girlfriend is definitely your fault, not theirs."

Although Misty partially agreed with the arrogant pokémon researcher, she could not deny that his nonchalant attitude was beginning to wear on her. "If you're going to sit with us, at least try and help instead of just picking apart all of my suggestions," she said sternly. "Why don't you try and set Brock up with someone from your fan club?"

At that moment, Tracey let out a small chuckle from the corner of the room. "Sorry to burst your bubble, Misty, but, despite what he'd have you believe, Gary hasn't had a fan club for years."

Gary shot Tracey a murderous look, but swiftly returned to his former expression of self-importance before anyone noticed. "Technically true though that may be, Mr. Sketchit, I still have all their numbers right here." He gestured towards the pokégear on his belt. "I could call any one of them right now, and they'd all clamber over each other at the drop of a hat for a chance to carve their name in the Oak, if you know what I mean…"

While both Brock and Tracey immediately started sniggering, Misty simply wrinkled her nose and grimaced.

"That's…truly disgusting," she scolded the boy, who winked cockily at her.

"Hey, don't knock it 'til you try it." He grinned somewhat flirtatiously. "I'd be happy to teach you sometime…provided Ashy-boy doesn't mind sharing, of course."

In an instant, Misty's face was as red as a cheri berry, and her lip quivered in both anger and frustration.

"Why, you stuck-up, arrogant little-"

"Is everything alright over there, dears?"

From the far end of the room, the sweet, singsong voice of Delia Ketchum sailed over to Misty's ears, briefly distracting her from the inevitable gruesome murder she was about to commit.

"Uh, yeah, everything's fine, Mrs. Ketchum," she waved, trying to laugh away the shakiness in her voice.

"I'm so happy you could join us this year, Misty," smiled the benevolent woman. "And Ash will be, too; he really misses you, you know."

Misty's blush returned once again, albeit for a slightly different reason. "He…he does?" she murmured.

Delia nodded warmly. "I can tell by the way he talks about you. Mother's intuition and all that."

Sensing that this was the natural end to the conversation, Delia turned slowly back to decorating the giant Christmas tree, while Misty remained rooted to the spot in a kind of trance. Her older friend and mother figure had a way with words that always seemed to resonate profoundly with the young girl. Her heart began to beat faster, and she allowed a small smile to grace her features before a familiar groaning sound succeeded in tearing her from her little bubble.

"That's real nice and all, but can we please get back to the matter at hand?" a rather frantic Brock whined. "I've got a serious crisis here, people."

"Oh, for the love of god!" Misty snapped, her patience for Brock's drivelling finally reaching capacity. "Fine, you know what? I'll do it myself! Honestly, you guys are useless!"

"What are you talking about?" he asked nervously.

"I'm talking about getting you a girlfriend, what you do think?!"

"I, er…really?"

"If it'll stop your whining, then why not?" she replied in a slightly softer tone before adopting a determined grin. "I bet I can find the perfect girl for you in no time – before the end of the year, in fact! It's a done deal!"

Gary raised an eyebrow at her odd choice of words. "A deal?"

"Uh, yeah, that's what I said, isn't it?" Misty uttered, unsure of what the boy was getting at.

"And what if you can't?"

"Can't what?"

He chuckled haughtily. "Well, let's face it; finding anyone a date in less than two days is a pretty tall order – unless you're me, of course – and Brocko here's got a terminal case of womanitis."

Across the table, Brock blurted out a quick "hey!" before the pokémon researcher continued. "I'm just saying, how about we raise the stakes a little, huh, make this more interesting? You did say it was a deal, after all."

Though her gut told her to shoot down his idea there and then, a niggling spark of curiosity in the back of Misty's mind compelled her to hear him out. "Go on…"

He held up his finger pompously to emphasise his forthcoming announcement. "The deal is that you have to help Brock find love before the strike of midnight on New Year's Day. If you don't, then we three get to choose a suitable punishment for you." He circled his finger between himself, Brock and Tracey. "How's that sound, eh, Red?"

Misty grunted under her breath, cursing the fact that everything with Gary Oak seemed to turn into a competition at some point. Nevertheless, after his outrageous comment a couple of minutes ago, there was no way she was going to let him gain the upper hand.

"Fine, what do I care?" she declared confidently. "It's not like I'm going to lose anyway."

"Then it's settled!" Gary concluded, turning towards his co-conspirators. "So, any ideas, boys?"

As fate would have it, Tracey, who had been drifting in and out of the conversation as he darted about decorating the lab, seized this moment of silence to call across the room to his friends at the table.

"Hey, make sure you guys remember where all of these are, okay?" he joked, holding up a small, green branch and gesturing with his thumb to the others hanging from the light fixtures around the room. "I really don't want to have to kiss any of you."

Misty laughed out of politeness, but scowled inwardly at the infernal plant between his finger and thumb. Her last experience with mistletoe – six years ago in this very room, coincidentally, with a certain dimwitted pokémon trainer – had not exactly gone the way she had hoped.

At that very moment, however, Brock's eyes lit up, and a devious grin crept onto his face. Beckoning Gary closer, he leant forward over the table and whispered his plan into the young man's ear, after which the two began to chuckle furtively.

"Oh my god…it's perfect!"

"I know! Why didn't we think of this years ago?"

Misty watched the scene with a mixture of confusion and anger, the latter building with every ambiguous line they spewed out.

"What? What is it?"

"Oh man, I can't wait to see the look on their faces!" Brock wheezed, his face flushed from laughter.

"Truly a sight to behold, I wager," Gary agreed.

Misty's face began to grow hotter and hotter. She did not like to be kept in the dark.

"Come on, what is it? Tell me!" she wailed.

"I hope someone brings a video camera."

"Yeah, Gramps is bound to have one lying around somewhere. We ought to sell it to the news when we're done, eh?"

For the second time in an hour, the furious redhead banged her fist down on the table, causing Brock to jump and Gary to shift his legs back down to the floor.

"GARY OAK, YOU BETTER LET ME IN ON WHATEVER THIS IS RIGHT NOW, OR YOU'RE GOING TO SPEND THE REST OF THE HOLIDAYS PICKING TINSEL AND PINE NEEDLES OUT OF YOUR ASS!" Misty shrieked out in a single breath, pointing menacingly towards the Christmas tree in the corner.

"Okay, okay, no need to get graphic," Gary exclaimed, the cold sweat on his forehead betraying his efforts to casually shrug off the girl's harrowing threat. "I think we're ready to reveal, right, Brock?"

The pokémon breeder grinned, albeit somewhat nervously, before nodding his head. Taking that as his cue, Gary cleared his throat and leaned closer to the increasingly anxious redhead across from him.

"After much deliberation," he embellished mockingly, "Brock and I have come to the decision that, should you fail in your mission to set my dear colleague here up with a lady friend before the strike of 12 tomorrow night…" He paused dramatically while Brock performed a drumroll with his hands on the tabletop. All Misty could do was watch, wincing as she tried to prepare herself for the worst.

"…You have to walk up to your beloved Ashy-boy and give him a full-blown smooch under the mistletoe."

The subsequent howls of laughter from Brock, Tracey and Gary were but a blur to the motionless girl, the words of her best friend's old rival ringing harshly in her ears like a family of overexcited chimecho. Though she thought she was equipped for anything those three could throw at her, as she had always been in the past, this was on a whole new level, more difficult and more terrifying than she could have imagined. Not that the trio had never hinted at her not-so-well-hidden feelings for Ash before, because they had – rather liberally, in fact – but actually asking her to…kiss him? A sudden dizziness brought on by the sheer heat of Misty's crimson face prevented her from entertaining the notion further.

"And, what's more," Brock added, eliciting a horrified gasp from the blushing young woman, "You have to do it right in the middle of the room, just as everyone's shouting, 'Happy New Year!' Isn't that hilarious?"

That did it. Though Misty may have been temporarily lost for words, this final grain of salt in the wound caused her to instantly regain her most caustic vocabulary.

"WHAT?!" she bellowed at the trio. "You must be crazy! If you think I'm doing that at all, let alone in front of the whole town, you've got another thing coming!"

"A deal's a deal, Red," Gary reminded her. "You said we could choose, remember?"

"Screw your deal!" she spat back at him. "And screw you! I'm not doing this, you hear me? Just leave me alone!"

Reaching over to scoop up Azurill in her arms, Misty slouched back in her seat, turning slightly to the side so as not to meet the gazes of the three men surrounding her. She hugged the baby pokémon close to her chest, muttering to herself angrily. Brock and Tracey exchanged a serious look as if silently agreeing to tone down their jesting; as fun as it often was to tease their old friend, they always seemed to know when they had gone too far, the point at which their words began to hurt her rather than simply annoy her, and this was the exact place to stop and apologise. Gary, however, was not so wise, being both less familiar with and less sympathetic to the volatile redhead's feelings, and, before the older duo could get a word in, he flicked his hair vainly before starting up again.

"Well, okay, then," he began through a suspiciously sarcastic smile. "If you don't want to, that's your choice. Still, I can't help feeling sorry for old Brock here, you know? I mean, after you'd all but _promised_ him that you'd help him find a date for the party, the one he's been _so_ looking forward to…I know I'd be feeling pretty bad about myself right now if I let someone down like that. And for what, a simple kiss with my best friend who I've been painfully in love with ever since I met him? Come to think of it, New Year's Eve is a pretty romantic occasion, is it not? I could certainly think of worse ways to experience my first kiss…"

As he continued to drone on in the background, Misty dug her toes into the floor out of both anger and embarrassment. She knew that Gary was trying to manipulate her, and wanted nothing less than to give him the satisfaction of seeing her relent, but the more he spoke, the more she found herself focusing on the elements of truth in his spiteful monologue. It did seem selfish of her to shun Brock in his hour of need over a simple bet; yet, things involving Ash Ketchum were never that simple, and she cursed him for the way he made her feel in moments like these. Releasing a tired sigh, she reluctantly made her decision.

"That's enough!" she silenced him. Then, with her eyes fixed on the floor, she softly murmured, "I'll do it."

Instantly, wide smiles appeared on the faces of the three men around her. Brock and Tracey sighed with relief, while Gary just chuckled to himself.

"Thanks, Misty," Brock said cheerfully. "Somehow, I feel much better about my chances now!"

Still rather lightheaded from her most recent action, Misty did not reply for a few awkward seconds. "Don't thank me yet, Brock. We've still got a long way to go."

Nodding, Tracey leant his arm against the wall next to the table. "You guys ought to make a start pretty soon. I'm heading over to Viridian City in about half an hour to run some errands, so you're welcome to come along if you want."

No sooner had the pokémon watcher uttered the words than Brock leapt up from his seat giddily, punching the air like a child. "Alright! I'd better go and get ready! This is going to be my year, I just know it!"

Moments later, he was gone, the heavy lab door slamming shut behind him. Misty just sat there, trying to make sense of the surreal conversation that had taken up most of her morning. Suddenly, a task that she was formerly only partially committed to now had her undivided attention, and it was all to do with Ash. Contrary to what Gary had said, a packed room full of people she had never even met was hardly her idea of a romantic scenario. There was no way she would waste such a precious experience all for the sake of some measly deal, but neither was she about to go back on her word. She just had to make sure she won, and for that to happen, Brock would have to act even vaguely normal around a woman. As the young girl tried in vain to imagine what such a phenomenon would even look like, a solitary thought rattled unceasingly around in her brain:

 _Why do I keep getting myself into these things_ … _?_


	2. Flogging a Dead Horsea

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Pokémon.

To answer a question posted in one of the reviews, Ash and Misty are both 17 years old. In all of my stories, there is only a six-month age gap between the two of them, with Misty being the older one (I like to think her birthday is around March, while Ash's is in September).

* * *

CHAPTER 2: Flogging a Dead Horsea

A ghostly, white midday sky blanketed the whole of Viridian City, and the tall, bluish green buildings lining the streets were topped picturesquely with snow. Though the Christmas rush had passed, the city centre remained alive with droves of hurried commuters and window shoppers searching for the earliest post-Christmas sales. It was certainly brisk out in the open air, but the embarrassment coursing through Misty Waterflower's cheeks was sure to keep her from feeling the cold.

"I can't believe I'm actually encouraging this," she thought out loud as she watched her lovesick friend slalom ahead of her through the small crowds in the central plaza.

"Relax, Misty," said Tracey calmly beside her. "I'm sure he's not that bad…is he?"

Misty shot the pokémon watcher a look of pure disbelief. "Are you kidding? Haven't you ever seen him around girls before?"

He shrugged. "Believe it or not, I actually haven't. I've just been playing along with the jokes up until now."

"Oh boy…well, I imagine you're in for quite a show," she stated dryly, trying her best to keep the walking liability in question in her field of view.

Misty's warning could not have been more impeccably timed, as Brock suddenly bounded over to an unsuspecting young woman, taking her hands in his and kneeling on the ground in front of her.

"My darling angel!" he swooned, his eyes fixed on those of the increasingly uncomfortable girl. "How blessed I would be to spend this magical holiday period with one as beautiful as you!"

Just as Misty was about to step in, the woman snorted contemptuously, releasing herself from his hold and picking up her many shopping bags that had fallen to the floor.

"Nice try, weirdo," she muttered before disappearing quickly out of sight.

"Wow, you weren't kidding," Tracey spoke in awe. "I knew I should've brought my sketchpad."

Walking over to the stunned Brock, Misty cleared her throat loudly, snapping him out of his stupor.

"Do you know where you went wrong?" she asked somewhat condescendingly.

The pokémon breeder seemed highly offended by the question. " _I_ didn't do anything wrong! It's her that didn't give me the chance to perform any of my special moves!"

She shook her head. "Brock, you keep introducing yourself to people like that, and the only 'special move' you'll ever get to perform is Seismic Toss."

In an instant, Tracey was doubled over in a fit of laughter, while Misty herself stiffened in surprise at her uncharacteristically crass statement. Then again, she decided a moment later, perhaps her friend occasionally needed such a wakeup call.

"Well," Tracey squeaked, wiping the tears from his eyes, "this has been a truly enlightening experience, but I think I'd better be on my way now."

"Where are you going?" Misty asked.

"Oh, I've just got a few little things to take care of before the party tomorrow," he explained. "I'll meet you back here in about an hour."

After a few quick goodbyes, the mild-mannered watcher took off down the street, leaving Brock and Misty alone in the icy Viridian Square.

"So, what do we do now?" Brock looked over to the exasperated redhead, apparently having recovered from his rejection. In his voice was something almost childlike, a kind of 'wounded' tone that reminded Misty of the perpetually ludicrous truth that he was the older of the two.

"I guess…" she began, sighing inwardly as she realised what she was about to say, "you might as well try again."

The pokémon breeder grinned in a manner that only reinforced Misty's previous thought. "Awesome! Let's go!"

As she allowed Brock to lead her further into the square, Misty could not stop her mouth from cracking into a small smile. His methods may have been in dire need of an overhaul, but there was absolutely no dampening her friend's unwavering enthusiasm, a quality that undoubtedly came from all of his years travelling with Ash. Her smile faded slightly when she realised she had almost forgotten what that felt like. Nevertheless, she had sworn to herself that she would remain positive about this bet, and that was exactly what she was going to do. Perhaps Brock would even end up surprising her…

* * *

"No, no, no, no, no!" Misty huffed as she dragged a squirming Brock away from his latest victim by his ear. "How many times have I told you that pick-up lines just don't work?!"

"Th-That's impossible! I've been using those lines since before you were born!"

"Weirdly, I actually believe you," she said, imagining a five-year-old Brock trying his luck with the women of Pewter City.

"See, there you g-"

"And how many girls did you manage to win over?"

A cartoonish droplet of sweat ran down the side of Brock's face. "Well, er…some lady bought me a bag of chocolate pokéballs once…"

"I rest my case."

The deflated pokémon breeder ran a hand through his spiky hair in thought. "Can't I at least keep some of them? How can you not like 'if you were a pokémon, I'd catch you with my master ball because your beauty is truly legendary'? Or my personal favourite: 'girl, you must be a clefairy, because you're out of this world!'"

"Let me put it another way: one more pick-up line and I walk."

"…Fine, I'll stop."

* * *

A whole five minutes passed, and the scraping sound of Brock's size twelve loafers dragging backwards along the pavement filled the air once again.

"Ow! What did I do this time?!" he exclaimed, rubbing the ear his friend had recently let go of.

"You really don't know?" snapped Misty, her face flushed and her hands on her hips.

After an innocent shake of his head, she continued her lecture. "So you don't think there's anything wrong with running up to a woman with" – she held up her fingers to mimic quotation marks – "'boobs the size of jigglypuffs' – and then proceeding to describe them as such right to her face?!"

"But I meant it as a compliment!" he cried. "I thought she'd be flattered!"

"And it took her slapping you to realise she wasn't?!"

Brock nursed his raw cheek, sighing in disappointment.

"I think we need to clear something up here," Misty said matter-of-factly, her voice softer but still carrying a subtle note of annoyance. "Are you in this to find love, or just have sex?"

Despite his puzzled expression, the redhead denied him the chance to answer. "Because I didn't sign up to play the matchmaker just so you could go and have some disgusting one-night stand, got it? From now on, no references to…um…well, you know! I'll be damned if I'm going to lose this bet!"

"Yes, ma'am," he complied, hanging his head as they continued on down the street.

* * *

Misty massaged her temples, trying to formulate her words into something vaguely intelligible before engaging the pokémon breeder in the wake of his most recent rejection – or, rather, rejections.

"I'll admit, Brock, you've really outdone yourself on this one," she said flatly, pulling down the sleeves of her pink jacket. "To think you could actually ask three girls out at once is really quite something."

"Now hang on a minute!" Brock interjected, holding his hands up in defence. "It's not as if I expected all three of them to go out with me. I just asked the question to the whole group because I figured, 'hey, at least one of them's bound to say yes, right?'"

"Unbelievable."

* * *

"Oh no, don't even think about it!"

"What are you talking about? I'm just walking."

"Yeah, towards the pokémon centre. I know you've been trying to sneakily steer us in that direction ever since we got here."

"I, er…well…okay, fine, maybe I have! Where's the problem? Isn't this the perfect opportunity? I've finally got a good reason to ask out the beautiful Viridian City Nurse Joy!"

"No."

"Aww, come on, why not?"

"Because I said so, that's why! You've pestered that poor woman quite enough for one lifetime."

"But I…ugh, whatever. She's not as pretty as the Pewter City one anyway."

"So, where to now?"

"I dunno…ooh, the police station! Nurse Joy may be off limits, but you never said anything about Officer Jenny!"

"Trust me, Brock, you keep going the way you're going, and you'll be seeing Officer Jenny a lot sooner than you think. Or I will, at least, when I kill you."

"Alright! Hey, does that mean she'll use her handcuffs?! Oh wow, I think I'm gonna cry!"

"…Ugh."

* * *

It was now close to 1 o'clock in the afternoon, and Brock and Misty were gradually beginning to grate on each other. While the former resented being pulled away from every attempt he made to talk to a member of the opposite sex (as well as ending up with a very sore ear), the latter found herself both amazed and infuriated by her 22-year-old friend's inability to properly communicate with women he found attractive. The duo approached a large park, whereupon the undeterred Brock instantly laid eyes on a pretty young woman and introduced himself. Though Misty was surprised to see that some of her advice had actually sunk in, the man was still not quite ready, demonstrated by the girl's sandshrew performing a large Sand-Attack in the unsuspecting breeder's face.

"Argh! Dammit, my eyes!" he coughed as the woman strode away, unsympathetic to his fate. Misty held out her hand to help Brock up from the ground, failing to withhold the huge sigh that had been threatening to escape her lungs for the past few minutes.

"I know, I know!" he stopped her before she could inevitably tear him a new one. "It was because I held her hands, wasn't it?"

"If you know what I'm going to say, then why aren't you acting on it?" she hissed, rolling her eyes at the annoyed look she was receiving. "Of course it's because of the hands! We don't all live in some tired old romance novel, you know."

In a move completely uncharacteristic of the usually calm and composed Brock, he opted not to take the high road as he opened his mouth to retort. "I bet you'd be singing a different tune if it was Ash holding _your_ hands…"

Misty was briefly stunned at such a spiteful comment from one of her closest friends, but quickly recovered enough to whip out her mallet and bring it clattering down on his head.

"What's that supposed to mean?!" she bellowed, blushing from the swell of emotion churning inside of her.

"Ow! Jeez…I'm just saying, how come you claim to know so much about romance and relationships and whatnot when you've never even been in one? What gives you the right to keep putting me down all the time over something you're no more experienced at than me?"

As flustered as the girl was, she knew immediately that Brock had made a very good point. Now that he had drawn attention to it, she could not deny that this whole situation seemed rather hypocritical on her part.

"Well, you, er…I mean, it's, um…look, we had a deal, alright? I'm trying to help you here, so the least you could do is show a bit of gratitude!"

At that moment, Brock seemed to come to his senses, sighing and shaking his head slowly. "I think we're both a little stressed out right now. What say we go get some lunch? I could use a break from all this walking."

As if by magic, hearing her friend's voice return to normal instantly made her feel a lot calmer. She nodded meekly, still somewhat embarrassed over losing her temper, and the two quietly made their way out of the park and back onto the busy streets.

* * *

Thankfully, the inside of the small café was a lot warmer than it had been out in the open, and now that they were rested with full stomachs and peaceful surroundings, Misty and Brock were, once again, feeling comfortable in each other's company. Their table by the glass wall of the building gave them a perfect view of the park they had just come from, an expansive mass of white, snow-covered grass and festively decorated lampposts as far as the eye could see. Misty took a sip from her cup of hot chocolate, humming quietly to herself as she stared out of the window; Brock, however, appeared restless, as if something was on his mind.

"Hey, Misty?" he began, resting his hands on the table.

"Hmm?"

"I'm, er, sorry about those things I said. You know, about Ash, and how you've never been in a relationship. It's not like me to get carried away like that. But I want you to know that I really am grateful you're doing this for me."

Misty smiled. The conversation in question was pretty much the first real argument her and Brock had ever had, and it was the very unexpectedness of it that set it apart from the fights she engaged in with Ash. For this reason, she felt instantly relieved by his apology.

"Thanks, Brock. I'm sorry, too. I guess the pressure of this is really getting to us."

Another short silence passed, but Brock remained fidgeting and biting his nails in a way that suggested he had more to get off his chest.

"You know I mean well, don't you?" he asked, his voice laced with worry.

Misty looked up from her cup, her head cocked to the side in confusion. "What?"

"I was just thinking; the way I act around girls, it must be pretty, er, uncomfortable for you guys – not to mention the girls themselves – but you know I don't mean to freak out and act like a creep, right? I just get so excited when I see someone pretty, like I really just want to go and tell them, you know? But I always end up overdoing it, and…argh, this probably all sounds stupid."

"Brock, no-one thinks you're a creep," she reassured him. "We know it's difficult for you to control yourself around girls; but, that's why we're here, right? We've still got a day and a half left of this deal, and I'm not about to give up now. You with me?"

Though Brock had always been something of an 'elder' figure amongst her friends, Misty had seldom seen the pokémon breeder open up to this degree about his feelings. Their brief argument seemed to have teased out his more vulnerable side, and his sudden willingness to reveal the insecurities he had hidden for all these years was both refreshing and flattering for the young redhead. She had known him since she was ten years old, but only now did it seem like Misty was finally getting to know the real Brock.

He nodded happily. "Thanks. I just wish I knew how to, I don't know, tone it down every now and then. Honestly, it's like I turn into a hyper little kid when there's a woman nearby!"

His demeanour was a lot more jovial now, so Misty decided it was safe to return his playfulness with her own. "Tell me about it. Your 'girl mode' is almost exactly the same as Ash's 'normal mode'."

As they both shared a knowing laugh, Misty found her thoughts lingering on the last thing she had said – or, more specifically, the person about whom she said it. A question she had been meaning to ask ever since she arrived in Pallet Town a few hours earlier reappeared in the forefront of her mind, and she did not hesitate to voice it.

"Brock, can I ask you something?"

He gave his old friend a gentle smile. "Sure."

"How come Ash didn't come home at the same time as you?"

Brock opened his mouth to speak, but paused for a second as the minutia of Misty's question reached his brain. Eventually, he managed to find the words he wanted to say. "Well, you see, Misty, Ash has been really busy lately with challenging the Frontier Brains. Last time I saw him, he had just conquered the Battle Palace on Metallica Island. Maybe he just wanted to see how far he could get before he came back to Pallet Town?"

In truth, Brock knew that there was another reason for Ash's delay, a deeper, more personal reason, but had been sworn to secrecy by the boy in question. He prayed that Misty had not sensed he was hiding anything.

"So it's not that he just didn't want to see me?" she murmured, her voice conveying flavours of both hurt and panic. "B-Because I wouldn't put it past him! Knowing him, he'd probably go all the way to Unova if it meant avoiding being yelled at for the whole holidays by his bitch of a best friend!"

Her noticeably hysterical tone at the end temporarily put her friend on edge, but he shook it off and stared sympathetically at the crestfallen young girl. "Misty, how can you say that? Ash thinks the world of you! I happen to know he's been looking forward to this for a long time, so I'm sure he's got a good reason for staying behind. What's brought all this on, hmm?"

Misty sighed, deciding that this was as good a time as any to come clean. "Well, it's just that, it's only been a few months since I last saw you guys, so it's still all pretty fresh in my mind, and, well, I know it's childish of me to think like this, but something inside of me just kinda expected…more…this time around, you know? I got here as soon as I could because I was so excited to see everyone again, and I…I thought that Ash would feel that way, too."

Brock absorbed her saddening speech intently, his small smile fading with every word she said. Taking advantage of their sudden openness with each other, the pokémon breeder posed his old friend a question that he had never dared ask before:

"You love him, don't you?"

Predictably, Misty's face was instantly awash with scarlet, and she quickly looked away in embarrassment. Though she had tried to hide her feelings as best she could over the years, even she could tell how badly her methods had backfired, especially around those who knew her best. To Brock's surprise, the morose redhead sighed before nodding her head in confirmation.

"How long have you known?"

He smiled amicably. "Since shortly after I met the two of you. I always had a feeling you and Ash meant more to each other than either of you let on, even when you were stubborn, bickering little ten-year-olds. Then, before we left for Johto, Tracey told me about everything that had happened in the Orange Islands, and, believe me, any one of those times sounded like more than enough evidence that-"

Brock's words trailed off ethereally as a mesmerising sight from outside the window caught his eye. A huge blush crept onto his face, and his mouth hung open in astonishment.

"Who…who is th-that?" he stuttered, staring fascinatedly out into the distance.

Misty was unprepared, to say the least, for the abrupt detour of their conversation. "Who is…wha…?"

"That girl…" he pressed his finger against the glass.

"The one with the geodude?" she guessed, trying to follow the trajectory of his gaze.

"Yeah…she's amazing…"

Somehow, the pokémon breeder's reaction this time was different than before. The woman in question was certainly very attractive, the type that Brock would normally have gone cuckoo over, but instead of running up to her immediately and professing his undying love, he just sat there, locked in some sort of daze. Misty watched the scene with a mixture of curiosity and bewilderment.

"Well, why don't you go and talk to her?" she suggested in an attempt to break him from his trance.

He turned to face her, a rather bashful look on his face. "You…you think I could?"

 _Who are you and what have you done with Brock?_ Misty thought to herself in amusement; yet, despite her scepticism, the fact that he was even asking these kinds of questions spoke volumes about how far he had apparently come.

"Of course, Brock, you're more than capable of talking to her! Just take it slowly, okay? And hey, she clearly loves pokémon, so that's a perfect conversation starter!"

Within seconds, Brock's worried expression was replaced by one of determination. "You know what? You're right! I can do this! Thanks, Misty."

"Any time," she smiled as the gleeful man slipped off his seat and headed eagerly towards the park on the other side of the road.

As per her advice, he started by pointing out the girl's geodude, presumably telling her that he owned one as well, and although Misty could not hear anything he was saying, she had to admit that it looked to be going rather well. A swell of pride bubbled up from inside her as she watched Brock laughing blissfully with a girl who, before today, he would have undoubtedly scared off with his overzealous passion. Maybe she would win this bet after all…but why did something about that make her feel sad?

After a few minutes, however, Misty noticed the girl leaving to walk in the opposite direction, cradling her pokémon in her arms and waving slightly at Brock as she went. Brock himself stood still, a decidedly awkward look on his face that Misty took as her cue to exit the café and join him on the outskirts of the park.

"What happened?" she asked when she approached him.

"We got talking about pokémon and stuff, so I mentioned that I used to be a gym leader and she seemed really impressed. Her name was Sally, which I said was a pretty cute name, and she laughed. Then I asked her to be my date to the party tomorrow, but..." He looked down at the ground in embarrassment. "She's already got a boyfriend."

"Oh…" Misty sighed, picking up on the disappointment in her older friend's voice. "That's too bad. She seemed nice."

"Yeah," he replied vacantly, ushering in an uncomfortable silence between the two.

"There you are!" panted a voice from behind them, rescuing them from their impasse. "I've been looking everywhere for you!"

"Oh, hi, Tracey," Misty greeted the pokémon watcher with a small smile.

"So, have you guys made any progress?" he asked, running a hand through his dark green hair.

"Um…yes and no," admitted the blushing girl. "I'll explain later. Did you manage to get your jobs done?"

Tracey smiled in confirmation. "Yep, found everything I needed without much trouble. I even picked up some late Christmas presents for May and Max. I know they've never met me, but I didn't want them to feel left out, you know, especially since I've still got Ash's to give him…"

As soon as those final few words reached Misty's ears, a gut-wrenching sickness brewed from within the very depths of her soul, clawing its way upwards and filling every inch of her body. Her limbs felt weak and heavy, and her head pounded with an ache the likes of which she had never felt before. She had gone to every length imaginable to make sure she remembered – videophone alerts, reminders from her sisters, post-it notes practically wallpapering her bedroom back at the gym – but still, somehow, she had forgotten. Tears threatened to fall from her erratic teal eyes, and she forced them shut in order to keep her sudden burst of emotion from spilling over.

"Tracey, I've, er…I've just remembered I've got something to take care of, something, erm, urgent," she gasped, her breathing short and rapid.

"Er, okay…?" he answered confusedly.

"I'll just be…over in the shopping centre…got to…for the…see ya!"

The two young men had little chance to question their friend before she hurtled down the road in the direction of the tallest building in the city, kicking up a small amount of snow in her wake. They turned to look at each other, identical looks of confusion on their faces.

"What was that about?"

* * *

 _How could I be so stupid?_ Misty mentally chastised herself as she traipsed through the busy shopping centre, eyeing the rows of shops to the left and right of her in search of one that stood out. She had been working on her Christmas present for Ash all month; it was going to be so perfect. The plastic had only just set yesterday, and she had planned to paint it while she was in Pallet Town before the party. Yet, in her haste to leave that morning, the one thing she absolutely needed to take with her was the one thing she managed to exit the gym without.

Ash had, of course, seen many of her fishing lures before, including the previous ones she had fashioned after herself, but this one was special, because she was making it specifically for him. She hoped the tiny effigy of her would serve as a constant reminder of their friendship, travelling with Ash wherever he went as a symbol that a part of her would always be with him. But that plan was ruined, as there was no time now to go back to Cerulean City to retrieve it, especially since she had committed herself to her deal with Brock, and she was not about to trust her ditsy sisters with posting such a fragile and meaningful object.

As imperfect as it was, the only option left to her was to find something else, and fast. Viridian City was the closest city to Indigo Plateau, the site of the Indigo League, so a vast amount of the shops she passed dealt primarily in Pokémon League memorabilia and souvenirs. Ash was a sucker for anything pokémon-related, so something of that ilk would certainly be an easy buy for him, if not a very personal one. Nevertheless, the increasingly agitated Misty decided that one of these shops would probably be a good place to start.

The first place she stumbled upon was oddly nostalgic, something she had not counted on but welcomed nonetheless. The walls were lined with caps and jackets almost identical to the kind of garb Ash usually dressed in, and various types of pokéballs shone brightly up at her in their display cases. There were, indeed, many things in here that Ash would have loved to own, but nothing seemed to speak to her; nothing said, "Happy New Year, Ash, you're my best friend and I love you to pieces". She growled quietly to herself as she tried to forget that last part.

Just then, Misty overheard a group of young children talking in the corner of the shop. They were all gathered around a boy about twelve years old holding a very familiar item in his hands.

"Wow, that's so cool! I had no idea they could do that!" one child exclaimed.

"I know, right?" the boy replied. "I was so close to throwing it away when I got my new one, but the Professor showed me how to do this with it and it's now my new favourite thing!"

Luckily, the redhead had a significant height advantage over the group of children, and, without getting too close to arouse suspicion, she was able to peer over their heads to take a look at what they were so excited about. As soon as she did, her heart almost jumped out of her chest. She now knew exactly what to get him, and she would definitely not find it here. Swiftly exiting the small shop and running the length of the mall to the exit, a victorious smile graced her features once more.

Perhaps she would send him the lure when he completed the Battle Frontier instead.

Yet, her solace proved to be short-lived, as a blood-curdling scream made its way into her ears from the street to the right of the Viridian plaza where she was standing. Moments later, Brock and Tracey emerged from around the corner, sprinting manically away from a mob of furious bikers.

"MISTY! TIME TO GO!" Brock screamed, gesturing for her to start running with them.

"What the hell is all this?!" she shouted back as they came closer and closer.

"NO TIME TO EXPLAIN, JUST RUN!"

Just as they were about to pass her, Tracey grabbed Misty's arm, leaving her with no choice but to run along with them at the same frantic pace. She had no idea how a previously calm situation had managed to turn into utter bedlam the minute she left; yet, regardless of the cause, there was little doubt in her mind that this would certainly make for an interesting story later.


	3. Misty's Master Plan

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Pokémon.

* * *

CHAPTER 3: Misty's Master Plan

In the heart of the Seafoam Islands, just south of Fuchsia City, three weary teenagers leant casually over the railing of the ferry, staring downward at the neat lines their transport sliced in the calm, grey sea. The fierce wind stung like ice against their skin, but they appeared not to notice, all but desensitised to the harsh weather by their many years of travelling. The trio remained in a peaceful silence for quite some time, eventually broken by an exaggerated yawn from the bandana-wearing girl in the middle.

"How much further, Max?" May sighed, stretching out her arms in front of her. "I could kill for a bath and a mug of hot chocolate right about now."

The younger boy next to her adjusted his large glasses studiously. "According to my calculations, we should reach the next island in about two hours. By then, it'll be dark, and since the ferries don't run at night in the Seafoam Islands, we'll have to spend the night there."

"Aww man," she whined.

"But, assuming we catch a boat early tomorrow, and assuming you still want to stop at Cinnabar for some last-minute shopping…" the boy let out a groan that earned him a glare of annoyance from his older sister, "I estimate that we'll arrive in Pallet Town by about 7 or 8 o'clock – just in time for the party."

Instantly, May was back to her usual, bubbly self. "Yay! I'm so excited! I can practically taste all of that delicious party food already, and if your mom's making it, it should really be something, right, Ash? Ash?"

To her left, the pokémon trainer stayed silent, his back against the railings and his red cap casting a shadow over his eyes. His expression was one of deep thought, a look he was not exactly known for sporting, as he stared intensely down at his hand, in which an object the size of an oran berry rolled animatedly around his palm.

"Pikapi," squeaked Pikachu on the railing, jumping up and prodding his master's cheek with his paw. Ash looked up with a start, turning around to see his three friends staring at him inquisitively.

"Huh? Er, whatcha say, May?"

The young pokémon coordinator frowned. "Ash, are you feeling ok? You've been weirdly quiet ever since last night."

"Who, me? Y-Yeah, I'm fine…er, thanks."

It was evident that her older friend had not fully returned from Cloud 9, so she persisted. "You don't sound fine. You sound nervous."

A brief look of irritation flashed across Ash's eyes before he simply sighed in defeat. "It's nothing, really. I guess I was just wondering…" He gestured towards the item in his hand. "Do you think she'll like it?"

May could not help but giggle. "Of course she will!"

Sensing the impending question of "How do you know?", she decided to beat him to the punch. "Ash, you two are probably the most important people in the world to each other. She'd be overjoyed with anything you got her, but this – after how much effort you put into it, after all those nights you went without sleep, after you were prepared to spend Christmas in a cave instead of your bed at home – trust me, as soon as she sees it, she's going to lose her goddamn mind."

"May said a bad word!" Max chanted boyishly. "I'm going to tell Mom!"

May blushed, scowling at her brother. "Don't even think about it, pipsqueak!"

Amongst the impromptu squabbling between his two travelling companions, Ash broke into a wide grin, instantly feeling better after those words of reassurance. "You know what, May? You're right. She's really going to love it, isn't she? Oh man, I can't wait to get home now!"

As the sun began to set on the islands of southern Kanto, a smiling May and Max watched their friend gazing peacefully off into the horizon. Though they may have had to sacrifice a warm, comfortable Christmas Day in pursuit of Ash's perfect gift, the duo could rest assured that the look on Misty's face would be more than worth it in the end.

* * *

Meanwhile, back on the mainland, Misty, Brock and Tracey were gathered around the coffee table in Professor Oak's living room, their faces still slightly red after the run of a lifetime. Evading the biker gang had certainly been no easy task, forcing them to take all kinds of twists and turns around the city, and once they reached the road to Pallet Town, the three almost broke the sound barrier in their haste to escape.

"Okay, Brock, once more, and this time without the snivelling," Misty snarled, pacing back and forth along the rustic, square room.

"But it was so awful!" he wailed, shivering as though he had gone through a major trauma.

"What did I just say?"

"Okay, okay," he spoke more calmly, sitting up straight on the leather sofa and taking in a deep breath.

"So after you left, I thought I might as well give it one more shot, you know? I saw a girl in the plaza who was _really_ hot, like a supermodel, and I went up to her like I did with Sally, the geodude girl. But as soon as I introduced myself, she totally flipped out!"

"You mean like they normally do?" she asked cynically.

The pokémon breeder immediately shook his head. "No…not even a little bit. She was _screaming_ at me, shouting at the top of her voice about how I wasn't worth her time and how she could have anyone she wanted. Then she said something about setting her 'Daddy Giovanni' on me, and the next thing I know, this whole gang of bikers showed up, and-"

"Yeah, okay, thanks, Brock, I think I can work the rest out from here," Misty interrupted in the driest of manners before running a hand through her orange hair. "Well, whoever she was, she was clearly crazy. Let's just agree to never speak of this again."

Tracey nodded, while Brock suddenly looked concerned. "So the deal's off?"

She stopped pacing and turned to face him. "What? No, of course not! When did I say that?"

"But I thought you just…"

"Look, not counting that last unfortunate, er…incident…you've come so far in such a short space of time – further than I would ever have guessed, to be honest – so what makes you think I'm going to give up on you now?"

Her spiky-haired friend was both confused and relieved. "I, um…thanks, I guess."

Taking a seat opposite the watcher and the breeder, she spoke up again. "That being said, I think we've been going about this the wrong way. That's why I've come up with an idea."

Brock and Tracey leaned forward in their seats.

"Come to think of it, I should probably have done this from the start," pondered Misty as she plucked a piece of paper and a pen from the desk in the corner of the room. "I want you to describe to me your perfect girl."

Curiously, Brock was not instantly enthralled by such an idea. "My what? But, er…why? Isn't that kinda…unrealistic?"

"Hey, it's not as if I'm expecting whatever you describe to come strolling right through that door," she clarified, "but surely it'll help you to think about what you really like and value in a woman, right? It's worth a try, at least."

He shrugged his shoulders indifferently. "I suppose."

Putting pen to paper, Misty began her grand interrogation. "So, er, shall we start with personality?"

"Sure."

"How would you like your perfect girl to act?"

"Well, er, kind, I guess? And, um, caring, you know, funny, good with kids, that sort of stuff."

"Okay, good, good…interests?"

"Oh, well, I think pokémon is kind of a given; also, I guess it'd be nice if they were interested in breeding, too. I've never really had many people to talk about that with before."

"Aww, that's sweet." Misty smiled before swiftly continuing. "So, onto appearance now. Pale or tanned skin?"

"Hmm. I mean, I do like both…"

"Come on, Brock, you've got to be a bit more picky or this whole exercise is pointless."

"Right, gotcha. Er, pale, I suppose."

"Eye colour?"

"Ooh, it's got to be between blue and brown…I'll go with blue. No, wait, brown! Yeah, brown."

"Hair?"

"What about it?"

"I dunno, anything! Length, style, colour, pick one!"

"Are you sure all of this is relevant?"

"We'll never know if you don't answer, will we?"

"Okay, fine! Well, I like long hair – not too long, mind; sorta like how your sisters have theirs, hehe…I mean, er, nothing, never mind! – and style's not really a big deal. As for colour, well, I kinda like all of them, you know? Although, I've always found blue hair to be quite pretty…"

The more Brock revealed about his supposed perfect girl, the more Misty began to think. The speed at which he answered most of her questions was suspicious, to say the least, and the things he said seemed oddly familiar. She drummed the tip of her pen against her lip as she reviewed the notes she had written down, trying to deduce some sort of pattern from the tiny fragments of evidence scattered around the page.

And then, with a jolt of her heart, it hit her. She had always suspected that Brock's feelings ran deeper for this particular person than for the girls he usually pursued, but even she could not have guessed that he had it this bad. Thinking back, it was indeed peculiar that he failed to mention her during their conversation that morning; it was almost as if he had placed her in a different 'category' to all the other women he listed. She was Brock's image of perfection, and so it had to be her. This was how she was going to win their bet!

"Uh, Misty, are you okay?" Tracey's distinctively high-pitched voice sounded through the redhead's musing. She looked up, placing her pen on the table and stared vacantly between the two men opposite her. Moments later, she quickly rose to her feet, reaching for the pokégear in her pocket as she headed for the door.

"Be right back!" she squealed excitedly over her shoulder, disappearing around the corner soon after.

Brock and Tracey stared at the door in a stunned silence. For the second time that day, they had watched their unpredictable friend run away from them without so much as an explanation, and her increasingly secretive behaviour was becoming rather unsettling. Brock turned to look at Tracey, his eyebrow raised and his hand behind his head in confusion.

"Was it something I said?"

* * *

After Brock's bizarre and disturbing near-death experience in Viridian City, the group decided that it would be best to suspend the rest of his 'training', as it were, until the next day. There were, of course, immediate concerns that this would be cutting it way too close; yet, his progress leading up to said experience had Misty completely convinced that Brock was now fully able to talk to – and, indeed, court – a member of the fairer sex. For the rest of the day, Brock and Tracey performed various chores around the lab, while Misty took the time to focus on creating Ash's Christmas-slash-New Year present.

The gift had required a lot more assembly than she had anticipated. Once she explained her plan to Delia and Professor Oak, both were more than happy to lend a hand in its construction (she could have sworn she even saw Delia shed a tear at the very idea of it). The task involved multiple trips between the lab and Ash's house in order to collect the things she needed, something that tired her out immensely, and as soon as she was done, she politely excused herself before retiring for the night. It had certainly been hard work, but she could not be more proud of the end product, and hoped with all her heart that Ash would appreciate it just as much.

It was now late afternoon on New Year's Eve, and most of the day had already been taken up by last-minute preparations. Brock and Delia had been cooking the buffet since shortly after dawn, while Tracey, Misty and Gary were tending to the large, fenced area on the reserve that was to house all of the guests' pokémon during the party.

"Are you sure the pokémon will be warm enough out here?" Misty asked, her teeth chattering slightly as she spoke.

"Oh, they'll be fine," Tracey replied as he propped up another tall, cylindrical object along the perimeter of the pen. "The amount of heat these lamps kick out, it'll probably be warmer out here than it will in the lab."

"Speaking of heat," Gary chimed in mischievously, "how's the bet going, eh? Beginning to feel the pressure now there's only half a day to go?"

She shook her head nonchalantly. "Nope, why would I? I told you I had this thing in the bag."

"Oh, really? Because I can't help noticing that our stony friend is still completely girlfriend-less, and I doubt he'll have a minute to himself today until all that cooking's done."

Misty grunted. "We're working on it, okay?"

The underlying stress in the young girl's voice was evident, betraying the confident exterior she was putting great effort into maintaining. Gary smirked as he set down the last of the heating lamps and walked over to her.

"You know, Red, if I didn't know any better, I'd say you almost _wanted_ to fail," he remarked, provoking a look of horror from his addressee. "After all, a chance to kiss your one true love like this doesn't come around too often, now does it? Win or lose, I don't think you'll be able to resist when the time comes."

Had they not just installed all of the lamps, the heat from Misty's face alone would have been more than sufficient to warm up the entire reserve. As much as she had tried to supress it, the thought had crossed her mind numerous times over the past two days. Did she actually want to kiss Ash? She had promised Brock that she would help him find a date tonight, and that was exactly what she was going to do, but something in the back of her head forced her to consider the possibility that, should she fall short of this goal, would her so-called punishment really be so bad after all? Regardless of her answer, however, Gary Oak had no right to talk to her like that.

"THAT'S THE MOST RIDICULOUS THING I'VE EVER HEARD!" Misty shouted, her cheeks alight with a brilliant crimson. "I'm not going to fail, and I don't want to kiss Ash, you hear me?! And stop calling me Red!"

Announcing that she wanted to see if Delia needed any help in the kitchen, she quickly turned tail and started back towards the lab, briefly looking over her shoulder. Much to her annoyance, the arrogant pokémon researcher simply smirked again. "If you say so, _Misty_."

She scrunched her nose up at his mocking tone. "Ugh. On second thought, Red will be fine."

* * *

A few hours later, and the earliest party guests had begun to arrive. Bright and cheerful holiday music echoed throughout the halls of Professor Oak's vast lab, and the fairy lights of the gigantic Christmas tree in the main room projected a tapestry of colour onto the high walls and ceiling. Although the room had been mostly cleared of lab equipment, the units that were too big to be moved were covered with festive-themed tarpaulins, looking oddly fitting alongside the streamers and hanging decorations littering the building. The place definitely looked the part, and as more and more excited Pallet Town residents poured into the large ballroom, the joyful gathering seemed from the outset to have all the makings of a truly memorable New Year's Eve celebration.

Not long after 6:30pm, an excited Misty Waterflower came scampering daintily down the stairs from hers and Delia's dressing room, re-entering the main area to be met with looks of shock and awe from passing partygoers. The deep red of her silky, strapless dress perfectly complemented her pale complexion, and the jewelled starmie brooch on her chest dazzled beautifully in the festive lighting of the venue. Just for the occasion, she had foregone her signature ponytail, instead letting her orange hair fall freely around her face in subtle curls while a silver barrette rested by her left ear. Though she could not presume to know how tonight's events would turn out, the one thing she was sure of was that she wanted to look her best for when Ash came home.

Misty quickly spotted Brock by the opposite door, sporting a navy blue two-piece suit and a white shirt, and, walking around the edges of the ever-growing crowd, the duo casually observed the goings-on of the still-nascent party. While the young girl seemed to be at relative ease, her friend wore a markedly nervous expression, biting his nails and muttering to himself uneasily.

"What's wrong, Brock?" Misty asked as she caught a glimpse of his curious behaviour.

He looked around with caution before opening his mouth to speak. "It's just…do you really think we'll be able to pull this off?"

"You mean the deal?"

"Yeah. I mean, the party's already under way, and I'm still no closer to finding a date."

Misty smiled playfully at her older friend. "Trust me, you're closer than you think. I came up with a plan yesterday that I believe will solve all our problems."

"Really? What is it?"

"I can't tell you yet," she affirmed, causing Brock to furrow his brow in confusion. "Sorry, but you're just going to have to bear with me on this one. I promise, though, it'll be totally worth the wait!"

"But I-"

"Hey, don't worry about it, okay? I'm not worrying, so you shouldn't either."

Though Brock was not entirely convinced by the cryptic lines his redheaded friend fired at him, he decided to give her the benefit of the doubt. "Well, er, okay, I guess. Thanks."

The pokémon breeder then excused himself to go to the bathroom, whereupon Misty continued to weave slowly through the party crowd, humming along contentedly to the music with a confident smile on her face. She understood Brock's concern, of course; as scenic as Pallet Town was, its entertainment value for young people was all but non-existent, and most people left the sleepy little town at the first chance they had. As a result, there did not seem to be many party guests in hers or Brock's age range, something that, at first glance, was sure to be a problem as far as their deal was concerned. But Misty had her master plan, a plan so perfect and immaculate that, suddenly, the scarcity of potential partners for her friend did not seem at all like an issue. On any other day, she would have considered herself a fool to put all of her eggs in one basket like this, but tonight was different, because she was so sure that it was going to work. It had to – otherwise Ash would be in for quite a shock.

Absentmindedly, she made her way over to the pop-up bar at the end of the room, climbing onto one of the barstools and reaching for a slightly damp drinks menu. As soon as her eyes met with the three instantly recognisable figures behind the counter, however, the redhead let out a long and exaggerated groan of annoyance.

"Well, good evening to you, young lady!" chirped the 'barmaid', her long, crimson hair flowing down from underneath a small, black hat. "What can I get you?"

"Might I recommend a smashing sitrus berry surprise?" the blue-haired man to the right of her gushed as he quickly whipped together a glass of luminescent yellow liquid to demonstrate.

"Or even a Jubilife ginger ale?" said the third member, a pokémon standing on a box between his two human companions. "It's da bomb!"

"How's it going, Team Rocket," Misty replied in as dry and unmoved a manner as she could manage.

Naturally, the trio were shocked that the girl had managed to see through their ingenious disguises. "Oh-hoh, you must be mistaken, dear girl!" Jessie grinned guiltily. "We are but three humble bartenders, here to ser- ugh, what's the point. How'd you know it was us, twerp?"

Misty shot the woman a look of pure incredulity. "Do you really want me to answer that?"

"As a matter of fact, I do," James huffed, clearly offended that his costumes had proved ineffective.

"You actually want me to explain why stupid glasses and a couple of fake moustaches aren't enough to keep me from recognising three people I saw nearly every day for five years?" she exclaimed before her gaze shifted towards the pokémon directly in front of her. "And this may come as a shock to you, but a talking meowth with a hat on is still a talking meowth."

Growling, Meowth unfurled his long claws and jumped up to scratch his two incompetent teammates in the face.

"You morons! I told ya deez disguises wouldn't woik!"

"AYYYYYEEEEEEEEEE!" they screamed in unison.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Misty finally asked, causing them to cease their wailing. "I really don't have time for your games today."

"For your information, twerp," James crooned, "we're not here to try and steal your pokémon this time. Believe it or not, we're actually doing a bit of honest work for a change!"

"And it's definitely not because we're stone cold broke from chasin' da twoip all over da woild!" clarified Meowth rather unconvincingly.

"Clearly, that doddering old coot of a professor had no problem with our disguises," Jessie added smugly.

"Sure." Misty smiled sarcastically. "Well, since you're here, I'll have a soda."

"Coming right up!" Jessie and James sang enthusiastically.

As he handed over the chilled beverage to the rather confused redhead, James stroked his chin in thought. "Say, you're looking awfully dolled up tonight. Any particular reason for this uncharacteristic display of glamour?"

Misty twirled a strand of her curled hair around her finger, blushing slightly. "It's a party, why do you think?"

The smirk on the older man's face remained in spite of her explanation. "That may be, but are you sure it doesn't have anything to do with the imminent arrival of a certain cap-wearing twerp?"

Startled, the blushing teenager choked on her mouthful of soda. "That's none of your business!" she spluttered angrily.

"Ooh, how cute!" Jessie joined in, clasping her hands together. "The two original twerps together again after all this time!"

"They're still loveboids!" chuckled Meowth.

It was one thing for Team Rocket to gatecrash the party that Misty and her friends had worked so hard to put together, but another thing entirely for them to start toying with her feelings for Ash. "That's it!" she bellowed at the audacious trio. "If you three clowns aren't out that door in ten seconds, I'm going to call Officer Jenny and make sure you spend New Year's Eve in a jail cell!"

Contrary to the expected reaction, Team Rocket simply laughed heartily. "Your threats don't scare us, twerp," Jessie stated cockily. "The boss always bails us out anyway."

Their dismissal, however, did not so much as scratch Misty's resolve. "Actually, I've got a better idea. How would you like to come outside with me and say hello to Gyarados? He hasn't eaten for a while, and he gets mighty cranky when he's hungry."

The expressions on the trio's faces changed in an instant. "Hehe, that won't be n-necessary, twerp, it's about t-time we were on our way; happy New Year!"

Before Misty had a chance to react, they bolted towards the door leading to the entrance, their disguises flying off as they ran.

"Thank god for that," she muttered airily, holding her cold glass up to her forehead to quell the incoming headache. "Hopefully that's the worst this night's going to get."

* * *

Try as she might, Misty could not shake the feeling that Team Rocket's appearance at Professor Oak's New Year's Eve party had had a kind of foreboding effect on the whole evening. At the very least, the encounter had certainly ruined her optimism, and with every little tidbit of conversation she absorbed from passing friends and strangers, the stress of fulfilling her end of that accursed deal began to weigh on her more and more:

"Great party, huh?"

"Oh wow, I love your dress!"

"Have you tried the punch?"

"You remind me so much of my daughter!"

After about an hour of being buffeted by such colourless interaction, the poor girl was forced to retreat to the back of the room, finding an empty table and sitting down in an attempt to process some of the wilder thoughts floating around in her head. For the first time since she thought it up, Misty found herself expressing doubt over the feasibility of her so-called 'master plan'; what if the person failed to show up? Was it a good idea to have left it this late? Should she have told Brock instead of insisting on it being a surprise? With her head in her hands, the conflicted redhead tried to block out the overwhelming sounds of the party as best she could, until…

"Misty, dear, are you alright?"

The gentle, compassionate voice of Delia Ketchum was one she would recognise anywhere, and as much as she probably needed to be alone at that moment, she had not the heart to turn away the woman who had been like a mother to her.

"Hi, Mrs. Ketchum." She smiled as Delia sat down beside her. "Everything's fine, thanks. I just needed a little rest."

"Are you sure?" Delia persisted, a look of sincere worry on her face. "You look a little flushed."

Misty did not want to lie to her close friend, but she also knew that telling her about the deal was very much out of the question. Delia was one of the only people she had ever confided in about her feelings for Ash, and it occurred to her that, whatever she said next, the older woman would likely pick up on the real root of her dissatisfaction anyway.

"I, er…" she began, trying to mould her words so as not to mention anything specific. "I guess I just feel like it's not right to celebrate properly until everyone gets here…you know?"

Delia smiled lovingly, placing her hand on her young friend's shoulder. "Of course, Misty, I understand. I'll let you get back to your rest, then; I'm over by the tree with Samuel if you need anything, okay?"

She then rose from her seat, taking a few paces away from the table before turning back around. "Oh, and Misty?"

Misty looked up, saying nothing but attentively awaiting the woman's next words.

"Don't worry, I'm sure he'll be here soon."

Then, with another smile, Delia cut neatly through the crowd, the gap she created closing almost immediately after. A warm feeling danced around Misty's body as she took in the meaning of that final statement. Regardless of the high stakes of this particular reunion, seeing her best friend again was an opportunity she would always unconditionally welcome.

As it turned out, Delia's words of reassurance were scarily well-timed. Not five minutes after their conversation, a sizable commotion at the entrance to the lab led Misty to go out and investigate. Over the shoulders of the people in front of her, she could make out four silhouettes in the doorway, and although the two on the far sides were not instantly recognisable, she knew they had to belong to May and Max. The two in the middle, however, she could identify in her sleep. Even though there was quite some distance between herself and the front door, one of these figures seemed to spot her, wasting no time in darting over to her and jumping straight into her arms.

"Pikachupi!"

"Hi, Pikachu!" Misty cooed happily, cuddling the yellow mouse as it curled up in her embrace. "It's so good to see you!"

"I guess some things never change, huh?"

By the time the young girl looked up, the source of the deep but childish voice was standing before her, his brown eyes staring straight into hers. The black hair creeping out from under his cap was dripping wet, and his cheeks and nose were tinted red from the cold, a stark contrast to the sudden warmth that Misty was currently experiencing in her own face.

"It's great to see you again, Mist." He grinned in his trademark boyish fashion. Before the redhead had even a chance to blush at her nickname, she suddenly felt herself enveloped in a tight embrace.

In that moment, there were no words that could possibly have described the cocktail of emotions bubbling within Misty's chest. Ash Ketchum was hugging her. It was a feeling she had fantasised about for as long as she could remember, but never once had it actually happened until now. For the precious few seconds that the embrace lasted, the smitten young girl was powerless to keep herself from melting in his tanned – and very soggy – arms.

"Ash, you're soaking!" she barked at him as they pulled apart, brushing a few droplets of water off her bare shoulder. Something about the action caused Ash's eyes to flick involuntarily up and down her body, and, as an awkward blush made its way onto his face, he cleared his throat before taking in a short breath.

"Wow, um, you, er…I mean, y-you look…er, that is…is that a starmie?"

Misty looked down at the brooch his eyes were bizarrely fixed on, slightly disappointed that he had not said what she thought he was going to say. "Er, yeah. It was my mother's."

Just then, May and Max appeared behind Ash, waving excitedly over at their older Kanto friend. The group exchanged a quick round of hellos and 'how are you's before May announced her desire to get to the buffet table as soon as possible, racing off into the main room along with her brother quickly thereafter.

"So, er, I should probably go and get changed for the party." Ash laughed, breaking the short silence that had grown between the two.

"But you just got here!" Misty argued. "Shouldn't you go and say hi to everyone first?"

"Like you said, Misty, I'm soaked through," he reminded her. "I promise I won't be long."

Ash then bolted up the stairs towards the bathroom while Pikachu scurried outside to the heated pen, leaving Misty to wander lethargically back into the main party area. She knew to her cost that her best friend's post-travelling showers were anything but short, so there was no telling when he would end up resurfacing. For some reason, the fleeting nature of their interaction irritated her greatly, a feeling that only reminded her of what she was obligated to do with him if Brock did not find a girlfriend before the end of the night. This realisation inspired a sudden wave of motivation in the young girl, and she ploughed through the middle of the crowd in search of the aforementioned loveless pokémon breeder.

"Ah, Misty!" Brock called over to her as she caught sight of him in the corner of the room, gesturing for her to sit with him on the sofa he was currently sharing with Tracey and Daisy. Misty, however, remained standing.

"The guys were just, like, telling me about this little bet you've got going on," her older sister teased, winking playfully.

"Were they now?" she snarled, shooting looks of annoyance at her two cringing friends.

"Hey, chill out, sis." Daisy grinned as she swished her shimmering golden hair over to one side. "Like, even if you lose, you're finally gonna get to kiss your little boyfriend; it's gonna be, like, totally adorable!"

"Thanks for reminding me," Misty acknowledged cynically, the sickly feeling in her stomach getting stronger and stronger.

"So, er, about what you said before," Brock began somewhat tentatively, as if he could sense the girl's steadily growing agitation. "The 'plan' you were talking about, is it still happening?"

"Of course it's still happening," she replied emotionlessly.

"Oh good, good…er, any idea when?"

Whatever steps she was taking to maintain her composure, Misty could tell that they were rapidly failing, and a sudden wave of anger all but pushed her over the edge.

"Look, I said it's happening, so what does it matter when? God, first Ash, then this; everyone just get off my case!"

"Wait, what happened with Ash? Is he here?"

"Yeah, and it's not important."

"And, more to the point, don't you think I have a right to at least know what this plan is?"

"I told you, it's a surprise!" Misty shouted fiercely at the group. A moment later, she recoiled, a remorseful look flashing across her eyes before she quickly turned away from them.

"I'm sorry, I…I need some air."

Having not the stomach to wait for their inevitable words of comfort, Misty made a swift beeline for the back door leading towards the pen of pokémon she saw Pikachu escape to moments earlier. While she would be the first to admit that her temper got the better of her at times, shouting at her friends was something she was not overly used to – excluding Ash, of course. Now that he was here too, it was almost as if both the 'win' and 'lose' scenarios of this bet were staring her right in the face, and the dilemma of what to and what not to focus on at any given time was more than overwhelming for the troubled redhead. What on earth had possessed her to agree to this confounded deal in the first place?

Just when she thought things could not get any worse, Misty heard a series of distressed growls and screeches coming from the outside area. Throwing open the back doors, she gasped as she noticed every single pokémon trapped in a large net being lifted up into the air by a regrettably familiar-shaped hot air balloon. Needless to say, this was where she finally lost it.

"YOU'VE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME!"

* * *

"Prepare for trouble this holiday season!"

"And make it double, there's no better reason!"

"To protect the world from devastation."

"To unite all peoples within our nation."

"To denounce the evils of truth and love."

"To extend our reach to the stars above."

"Jessie!"

"James."

"Team Rocket, blast off at the speed of light!"

"Surrender now, or prepare to fight."

"Meowth, dat's right!"

"Wobbuffet!"

The spectacle, if one could call it that, of the Team Rocket motto gradually drew people towards the back of the hall, a phenomenon that only increased when it became clear to them what was going on.

"Oh no, my pokémon!"

"Stop, you thieves!"

"Somebody do something!"

Misty watched with disgust as Jessie and James hugged each other dramatically from within the basket of the balloon.

"Ooh, it feels so good to use our original motto again!" James squealed.

"I know! Why did we ever change it?" Jessie agreed merrily.

"Am I interrupting something?!" Misty yelled up at the startled trio. "I knew I shouldn't have believed you when you said you weren't here for our pokémon!"

"In our defence, we were actually telling the truth at that point," Jessie stated.

"But when we saw them all on our way out, we just couldn't resist!" beamed James.

"And now we're takin' all deez pokémon straight to da boss!" Meowth sneered.

"Including Pikachu!" they cheered simultaneously.

Soon after their exclamation, Misty spotted the spiky tail of the pokémon in question sticking limply out of the reinforced net. The saddening image brought to mind an infuriating realisation that almost caused the girl's eyes to roll out of their sockets: of course Ash would choose this exact moment to go and take a half-hour-long shower.

The majority of Misty's friends emerged from the lab, flanking her on both sides as they looked up at their pokémon helplessly ensnared in the net. To her right were Delia and Professor Oak, looks of sheer bewilderment on their faces.

"What in the blazes is going on?" Professor Oak barked towards the sky. "First, three of my bar staff go missing, and now this?!"

"We've got to cut those pokémon down," Tracey observed as he held onto a whimpering Daisy.

"With what?" Gary retorted. "None of us has any pokémon to battle with!"

"Can't we call the ones on the reserve?" Misty suggested.

"Quite impossible, I'm afraid," dismissed the professor. "We've only seconds until that wretched contraption is out of our reach!"

"Grrr…!" growled the frustrated redhead, wincing every time she caught a hint of Team Rocket's smug laughter on the wind. Without pokémon, the group was virtually powerless to stop the pokénapping trio in time. She frantically looked around the area, trying desperately to think of something, anything, that she could do to stop them, when, all of a sudden…

"Vulpix, Flamethrower!"

Within seconds, a stream of fire shot over the heads of everyone in the area, quickly burning through the cord holding up the net, and before anyone could react, the thick mesh crashed back down to the ground, its former captives spilling out all over the grass. As the party congregation collectively rushed forward to tend to their liberated pokémon, Misty and Brock turned around to trace the source of the attack only to be greeted by a very familiar face.

"Vulpix!" Brock cried, bending down to embrace his old travelling companion. "I can't believe this! How did you get here? Unless…"

"Hello, Brock."

Standing up straight, the pokémon breeder's heart leapt as the sight of a lithe figure with flowing teal hair reached his eyes.

"S-Suzie?"

His old breeder rival smiled warmly. "It's been a long time, hasn't it? And hello to you too, Misty."

Misty returned the sentiment, sighing inwardly with relief that things finally seemed to be coming together.

Up in the hot air balloon, Jessie, James and Meowth were beside themselves with rage. "Who do you think you are?!" Jessie growled. "How dare you steal those pokémon we just stole?!"

"Pikachupi?" Pikachu squeaked as he bounded up to Misty's feet.

"What's that, Pikachu?" she asked mischievously. "You wanna give our good friends in Team Rocket their New Year present?"

"Pi!"

"You help Pikachu out too, okay, Vulpix?" Suzie chipped in to a purr of approval from the six-tailed fox.

Misty nodded. "Okay, Pikachu, Thunderbolt!"

"Vulpix, Fire Spin!"

At the same time, the two small pokémon unleashed their devastating attacks, engulfing the Meowth-shaped balloon in a swirl of fire and electricity and causing it to puncture. A dramatic explosion then sent the hapless trio flying into the pitch-black sky.

"Looks like Team Rocket's blasting off 'til next year!"

As the smoke cleared, Misty and Suzie were greeted by a brief round of applause from the relieved party guests before they all gradually filed back into the building. Brock was beyond perplexed at the sudden appearance of his fellow pokémon breeder, and once they were both back in the comfort of the lab, he wasted no time in starting up a conversation.

"So, er, I guess you showed up just in time, huh?" he began, his voice a little shaky.

"Yeah." She smiled. "I'm afraid I can't stay, though. I promised my parents in Viridian that I'd make it to theirs by ten."

"Oh, I see," Brock said, trying to hide the disappointment in his voice. "Is it a party?"

"Something like that, yeah. But I'm glad Misty called me about this yesterday – it's really good to see all of you again."

Suddenly, Brock's eyes widened. "Misty called you?"

Suzie appeared confused. "Yes…didn't you know?"

"Oh, er, I mean, yeah, of course I knew!" Brock lied. "It's good to s-see you too, hehe. So, how've you been?"

A few feet away, from her position next to the punch bowl, Misty could hear almost everything the pair was saying. Her decision to eavesdrop on their conversation was one that did not sit entirely well with her, and she occasionally pretended to pour herself a drink in order to dispel any suspicion from passersby, but the stakes of this particular rendezvous were far too high for her to not know exactly what was being said. If this went well, then Misty would win the bet and Brock would finally have what he had wanted for as long as she had known him. If it did not, then she would have to do something that could potentially destroy her friendship with the most important person in the world to her. Trying to dismiss the constricting notions of staying either 'positive' or 'negative', the girl simply remained focused on taking in the details of such a pivotal moment in the deal.

Five minutes of small talk and humorous reminiscing passed, and Suzie suddenly clutched her handbag to her chest, straightening out her black dress. "Well, Brock, this has been really fun, but I think I'd better be heading off now."

Brock was momentarily stunned, having been thoroughly engrossed in their wholly ordinary conversation, but soon came to his senses when he saw her begin to walk away from him. "Suzie, wait!"

As she turned back around, he reached out to take her hand, then stopped himself when he remembered a certain piece of advice Misty had given him the day before. Clearing his throat, the blushing pokémon breeder stepped forward as he prepared to ask the big question.

"Suzie, I…I've had fun talking to you, too, and I'd love to, you know, do it again sometime. Would you, um, would you like to maybe go out for dinner one night in the New Year so we can, er, catch up some more?" Brock's words were breathy and disjunct, and his forehead was shiny with sweat, but he forced himself to continue, hanging his head and muttering out a final, "It would mean a lot to me."

Misty smiled to herself as she processed her friend's heartfelt words; Suzie, however, simply stared, a redness across the bridge of her nose and a decidedly sorrowful look in her dark brown eyes.

"I…don't quite know what to say…I'm so sorry, but I thought you knew."

A churning sensation brewed within Brock's stomach. "Knew what?"

The young woman sighed, looking down at her feet. "Brock, I'm not sure how to tell you this, but…I've been married for over a year now."

In a split second, Brock felt as if he had just been punched in the gut by a machamp. "M-Married?"

"Yes, last Summer. You remember Zane, don't you? Well, we started dating not long after I last saw you and, well, the rest is history."

"Zane? Oh, er, yes, y-yes I remember!" Brock drivelled tragically as he tried his best to remain neutral. "He was a g-good guy; I'm, er, happy for you!"

"I'm sorry, Brock," she said softly. "You're an amazing person, and I really value our friendship, but I'm afraid that friendship is all I have to offer."

She then leaned forward, giving the man a quick but meaningful hug before scooping up Vulpix in her arms and looking over to the door.

"I should probably be on my way now. Take care of yourself, okay? And happy New Year."

As soon as Suzie faded into an indistinct shape in the distance, Brock allowed his head and arms to droop lifelessly downward. Embarrassment did not begin to cover what he was feeling. Misty, however, was experiencing a whole other level of despair, a multitude of emotions she did not even think it was possible to feel simultaneously, and she ran straight for the nearest exit as quick as her legs could carry her. The grand plan had failed; Brock was still alone, and it was all her fault. She had been so sure, so adamant that this would work, and now she had let him down in more ways than she probably even realised. On top of that, she now had her punishment to deal with, something that would inevitably also end in nothing but heartache. If Ash reacted badly to the kiss, Misty would never forgive herself for ruining something she had worked so hard to cultivate over the years. But she did not want to think about that right now; all she wanted to do was be alone.

Back in the party room, a fully refreshed Ash Ketchum jogged blissfully over to the dazed Brock, a wide smile on his face and a generously packed plate of food in his hand.

"Hey, Brock!" he greeted innocently. "What'd I miss?"


	4. A Deal's a Deal

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Pokémon.

* * *

CHAPTER 4: A Deal's a Deal

On the icy front porch of Professor Oak's laboratory, a sad and despondent Misty Waterflower released a heavy sigh, her breath forming a smoky swirl as it crept over her rosy lips. She leaned against the wooden railing, allowing a solitary tear to slip out of her eye and trickle down the arm on which her cheek was resting. It was positively freezing out in the night air, a small flurry of snow beginning to sprinkle down from the sky, but despite her discomfort, the depressed redhead was determined not to return to the party for a good, long time. She had no idea how to face Brock after what had just happened, and could barely even conceive of being around Ash with the knowledge of what she now had to do. This had been her last chance, her final shot at achieving long-lasting happiness for Brock and some peace of mind for herself, and she had failed miserably on both counts. There was little point in denying the obvious now; the deal was lost.

"I thought I'd find you here," a male voice sounded from behind her a few minutes later. Misty could tell instantly who it belonged to, and remained with her back to him for precisely that reason.

"So, this was your plan all along, huh?"

For someone who should have been emotionally shattered by now, her friend was speaking with a strangely calm timbre. Still, a worrying ambiguity hung in his choice of words, one that the girl felt she needed to iron out to determine just how much trouble she was in.

"Brock, I'm so sorry," she stuttered hurriedly. "I had no idea she was married, I would never have arranged this if I did, and I'm sorry I didn't tell you about it, and I'm sorry I lost the deal, and I understand if you hate me because I've ruined your night and probably also your life, and-"

As the single breath in which she spoke depleted, Misty was forced to abruptly cut off her apologetic rambling, gasping for air between the small sobs that made their way up to her throat. Brock stared at the back of her orange head with concern before opening his mouth to speak again.

"First of all, Misty, I don't hate you," he stated. "Far from it. In fact…I don't know how to thank you."

Misty swivelled around on her heel to face her friend, her face conveying a mixture of sadness and disbelief. "What?"

He nodded to confirm that she had, indeed, heard what she thought she had heard. "There's no way you could have known she was married, and I completely understand now why you wanted to keep her being here a surprise. I promise you, you haven't ruined a thing."

Misty's increasingly baffled look caused Brock to chuckle in a friendly manner before continuing. "The fact that you even thought to invite Suzie in the first place, all so I could have a chance to ask her to be my date – that really speaks volumes about the kind of friend you are, Misty. I don't think anyone has ever done something as truly selfless and meaningful as that for me before, and I really mean that. In a way, it doesn't even matter that Suzie and I can't be together, because you've helped me so much over these past few days that I really feel I can properly talk to women now, and I'm ready to go out there and put these skills to the test. Besides, I guess I always kind of suspected that her and Zane had a thing going on, anyway."

The young girl sighed, rubbing her ice-cold arms up and down. Brock's speech was certainly uplifting in a lot of ways, but still not quite enough to distract her from the main thing on her mind. "It matters to _me_ that you and Suzie aren't together. I may have given you a few tips, but aside from that, I've done nothing to help you. I lost the deal, and now neither of us has got what we wanted."

When they did not involve her, Misty was usually upbeat and optimistic about matters of the heart, and her sudden defeatism was thus more than a telltale sign for Brock that she was avoiding the real issue.

"Are you sure this isn't mostly about kissing Ash?" he smiled knowingly.

A streak of crimson washed over Misty's face, and she faltered greatly in her attempts to answer. "Well, I…um…I mean, that's…uhh…"

But again, Brock just smiled, walking over to his young friend as they both turned to rest their elbows on the waist-high wood and stare out at the expansive reserve. "I think it's time I let you in on a little secret."

She cocked her head to the side, but remained silent as the pokémon breeder began to speak again.

"When I came up with your 'punishment', as Gary called it, for this deal we made, I'll admit that I originally meant it in a kind of jokey, teasing way, but after we had that little argument yesterday afternoon and started being more open with each other, I think I realised that I chose it for a completely different reason."

Brock could tell by the inquisitive look on the redhead's flushed face that he had piqued her curiosity, so after taking a deep breath, he quickly carried on. "Thing is, I've known how you feel about Ash for years, and I know you want to tell him, but he's too dense and you're too nervous, so I feel like neither of you would ever want to make the first move. But if it was part of a deal, a deal with such high stakes that you couldn't refuse, I thought that it would kind of force your hand, you know? I never meant it in a nasty way, of course, but it's obvious how unhappy you are keeping this all bottled up inside, and the way I saw it, if you did end up having to kiss Ash, this would act as that first move that desperately needed to happen, and things would surely be much easier from there, right?"

As Brock silently summarised his monologue in his head to make sure he had made his point adequately, Misty too entered a state of deep thought, her blush intensifying with each subsequent line of said monologue she processed. A flash of gratitude she was not able to vocalise shimmered across her blue-green eyes before she hung her head, staring down at her feet in embarrassment.

"I don't know about this, Brock. I mean, it's not like I don't want to, er, you know…kiss him…but I can't help thinking, is this the right time? What if he doesn't feel the same way? What if he runs away from me like he did last time? He's my best friend, and I do, um, well, l-love him…but I just couldn't live with myself if I ended up ruining what we already have. I'm not ready to make this kind of decision."

"I know," Brock replied gently. "I see that now. That's why I'm releasing you from the deal."

"Well good, because I…wait, wh-what?"

He chuckled again. "Technically you haven't lost, since there's still over two hours left 'til midnight, and more than that, you've given me better advice on talking to girls in about a day and a half than anyone else has in 22 years. Thanks to you, I feel like I'm able to find a girlfriend at my own pace now; I'd say that's a win in my books."

A warm feeling began to swell in Misty's chest as she waited for her friend to elucidate further.

"And as for Ash, I now understand that it's not fair to force you into this if you don't feel the time is right. I don't want you to think I tricked you into helping me by raising the stakes like this, because I genuinely thought a chance to get closer to Ash would do you a world of good. To be honest, by the end, I actually kinda wanted to see that happen more than I wanted a girlfriend, hehe. In all seriousness, though, I know how much Ash means to you, and you shouldn't have to rush your confession or whatever else just because of some stupid deal. Therefore…"

He cleared his throat in a humorously exaggerated manner and held up his finger, causing Misty to giggle slightly. "I hereby declare this deal over, and the participants free to go and party their asses off 'til the morning. Huzzah!"

Still giggling, the redhead wrapped her arms around her older friend's torso in a tight, friendly hug. "Oh thank you, Brock!" she cried happily. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

"It's my pleasure, Misty." Brock laughed, returning the embrace. "Now, go and give that dense wannabe pokémon master the ride of a lifetime."

Misty's eyes widened, shooting the man a look that it took him a few seconds to understand. "Oh come on, not like that! I meant dancing! Honestly, you kids and your disgusting sewer minds."

As they shared a quick laugh, Misty made her way over to the door, reaching for the handle but turning back around before she grasped it. "Hey, Brock?"

"Yeah?"

"You're going to make someone very happy one day. I hope you know that. Any girl would be lucky to have you."

Brock was touched by her moving words. "Thank you, Misty. That means a lot to me."

With a smile, Misty then pulled open the large door, disappearing into the light that burst out from the party venue. Brock lingered on the porch, revelling in the feeling of relaxation that the end of the deal granted him. Finally were he and Misty able to actually enjoy their night without the stress of their 'assignments' constantly weighing them down. Though he was still as single now as he had ever been, the lack of a date suddenly did not matter so much to the pokémon breeder, as spending the New Year surrounded by his closest friends was all he could ever ask for.

His words to Misty notwithstanding, Brock had hoped, deep down, that this deal would finally bring his two best friends together once and for all. Then again, he thought with a smirk, should Misty decide to act on her feelings regardless, he highly doubted that Ash would put up much of a fight.

* * *

Like her friend, Misty was also feeling calmer than she had all night. A great weight had been lifted off her shoulders, replaced by an almost dizzying euphoria that made her grin uncontrollably. It was now just before 10pm, with a number of the elderly guests and families with young children appearing to have left, but the party was still in full swing, and the excited redhead planned to engage fully in the festive atmosphere she had, up until now, been deprived of. In addition, this would be her first opportunity of the night to properly talk to-

"Misty!"

Just as the girl's mind had begun to wander to a familiar place, she was suddenly face-to-face with the boy in question. His trademark hat and gloves were absent, and although there had been some attempt to comb his hair, it remained as wild and untameable as ever. The woollen pikachu on his green Christmas jumper smiled brightly up at her, matching the lopsided grin on its wearer's tanned face. Misty could do little to stop herself from blushing as she realised that the whole ensemble was incredibly, and infuriatingly, cute.

"I've been looking all over for you!" he exclaimed, waving his arms around excitedly. "I thought you might have been avoiding me or something."

Something about Ash's statement caused Misty to instantly put up her defences. "I wasn't avoiding you, you idiot! For your information, I was just, er, helping Brock out with something. And anyway, you're one to talk! Weren't you supposed to be here three days ago? What gives?"

Ash was taken aback by his best friend's sudden hostility. "Whoa, hey, it's not as if I didn't want to come back earlier! I just had something, er, important to take care of first. I'll explain later."

"No, you'll explain now."

"Trust me, it's better if I wait 'til later on."

"Well I wanna know now!"

"Well tough, 'cause I'm not telling you 'til later!"

"Now!"

"Later!"

"Now!"

"Later!"

"Now!"

"La-"

Before their argument could get physical, a spiky-haired figure in a dark purple suit darted through the small space between them, humming something that sounded suspiciously like the Wedding March as he passed. Ash and Misty immediately looked away from one another, arms crossed and faces red. After a few seconds, Misty sighed, glancing around to the boy behind her.

"Ugh. Sorry," she muttered sheepishly. "I guess I've just been a bit stressed the last couple of days. I really am, er, happy you're here now, though."

Ash turned to face her, smiling. "Me too, Mist. Hey, have you heard? Team Rocket were just here!"

After an inward groan, Misty decided to play along. "Well I'll be a son of a gun!" she exaggerated sarcastically. "I sure hope there was a talented and beautiful girl on hand to dispose of those ruffians!"

"Oh there was." Ash nodded, causing the redhead's stomach to flutter with butterfree. "Brock told me Suzie arrived just in time to stop them. How weird is that?"

"Typical," Misty sighed under her breath, an irritated frown on her face.

"Huh? What did you say?"

"Never mind. Go back to sleep," she smirked, flicking her friend on the nose.

"Ow! Hey, you're being mean today." He pouted jokingly before perking up again almost instantly. "Wanna go dance?"

Just like that, the butterfree in Misty's stomach returned, and she smiled widely at her best friend before nodding her assent. "Sure!"

"Awesome, let's go!"

Ash reached down to grab her hand, leading her through the crowd to an empty space on the dance floor. Misty gasped at the sudden contact, but quickly found herself enjoying the feel of the pokémon trainer's warm and oddly soft hand. Once they were in position, Ash wasted no time in breaking into a sequence of what the bemused girl could only describe as 'organised flailing'. Rather than berate him, however, Misty simply shrugged, giggling as she took her place beside him and proceeded to dance along in her friend's own unique style. Soon after, the two were joined in their dancing by May and Max, but Ash and Misty remained especially close to one another, laughing hysterically with every crazy new move they performed.

Across the room, Gary Oak, along with a collective of Ash's older friends – Brock, Tracey and Daisy – watched the scene with great amusement.

"They think we've got no idea," Gary smirked, taking a large gulp of gin and tonic.

"You should have seen them in the Orange Islands," laughed Tracey. "I honestly thought they were a couple for the first month or so I travelled with them."

"Oh, leave them alone, you big bullies." Daisy smacked her boyfriend playfully on the chest from her seat on his knee. "Just, like, let them have this moment."

As Tracey reached for his drink in front of him, he suddenly caught sight of something that brought forth a devious grin on his face. "Well, judging by how close they're getting to that mistletoe, that 'moment' may come sooner than we think…"

* * *

Misty could not remember the last time she had had so much fun. For at least an hour, she and her friends danced, laughed, reminisced and, in hers and Ash's case, fought, freely and organically without a care in the world. When May and Max eventually announced that they had to go and call their parents, Misty and Ash found an empty table at the quieter end of the room, sitting as close together as their chairs would allow, and continued their friendly chatting as the party carried on in the background.

"So, anyway, I gave him his badge and he went on his way, but the next day, I found him and Violet doing some sort of indoor skinny dipping in the pool!"

"Ewww, no way! So are they, like, going out now?"

"Wouldn't have thought so. Violet's with a new guy pretty much every time I see her. To be honest, I'm still getting used to the fact that Daisy and Tracey are an item."

"I know, it's so weird! How did that even start?"

"Oh, it's a long story. Basically, one day, about two years ago, I was, er…well, never mind what I was doing…but Tracey came to the gym while I was gone and started helping Daisy out with repairs and stuff. Next thing I know, they've gone out on a date, and it all just sort of escalated from there."

"Huh. Never would've figured Daisy as Tracey's, er, type, you know?"

"Yeah, or Tracey as Daisy's! Ah well, I guess love works in mysterious ways."

The unfortunate familiarity of Misty's last sentence caused the two friends to break eye contact, looking away from each other in embarrassment and awkwardness. The duo had been subject to that line from friends and strangers alike ever since they had first started travelling together, but at no point in that seven-and-a-half-year period had it become any easier to digest. Out of the corner of her eye, the redhead noticed a fairly young couple sharing a kiss under one of the sprigs of mistletoe that Tracey had booby-trapped the place with the previous day. Their faces were flushed, but they seemed more than happy to partake in the holiday tradition, and their brief but meaningful encounter sent Misty's mind snapping right back to the deal that she had only recently been freed from. As a sigh escaped from her mouth, she shook her head in an attempt to rid herself of the confusing thoughts clanging around in her brain; yet, in doing so, a burning question she was denied the answer to earlier in the night found its way back to the surface, and she did not hesitate to try again.

"So, Ash..." She smiled, causing her friend to raise his eyebrow. "I guess now would be a great time to tell me why you didn't come home for Christmas, wouldn't it?"

To her surprise, her friend simply nodded his head – rather excitedly too, she noted. "You're right, Mist, I guess I owe that to you now. I can't actually tell you though; I, er, have to show you. Back in a minute!"

Ash then jumped up from his seat, racing out of the main room and around the corner to ascend the stairs next to the entrance. Though Misty was temporarily stunned by his sudden disappearance, she decided that this would be the perfect opportunity to retrieve the gift she had worked so hard on over the last two days.

She made her way slowly over to the Christmas tree, stooping over to sort through the packages of various shapes and sizes at the base. Once she located it, she clutched it close to her chest, a small tingling feeling reaching her cheeks on her short return trip back to the table. Unbeknownst to her, Delia and Professor Oak had been witness to the girl's actions from a few feet away, tranquil smiles on their faces as their eyes followed her along the length of the room.

"Such a lovely girl." Delia sighed tenderly. "I can't think of anyone more deserving of my Ashy than her."

"Indeed," Professor Oak agreed. "It's evident how much she cares for him. And Ash appears to be quite besotted himself."

"I know. I just hope they finally find what they're both looking for this year…"

"Ah, there you are!" Ash chirped as Misty retook her seat next to him. His hands were fumbling with something under the table, and his face gradually morphed from excitement to full-blown anxiety.

"Are you alright?" Misty asked, confused at his sudden change in demeanour.

"Er, yeah, I'm fine," he stammered, chuckling before inhaling deeply. "So, anyway, er, I was late coming home because I…I was busy getting this for you."

Hesitantly, Ash began to raise his arms above the table. "Also, I didn't have any wrapping paper, so I, er, kinda had to improvise."

Misty watched her friend fascinatedly, her heart rate increasing with every centimetre of the object in his hands she caught a glimpse of. Eventually, his hand came to rest on the table in front of her, opening up to reveal a spherical object wrapped in some kind of deep blue cloth.

"Merry Christmas, Misty." He smiled as he scratched the back of his head with his other hand. "Well, actually, er, I guess it's more like 'happy New Year' now, hehe."

Alternating her gaze between Ash and her gift, the flattered girl allowed an endearing giggle to fly out of her throat. Though she could hazard a pretty good guess as to what the distinctly round object was, it was the unconventional wrapping around it that had her intrigued. She gently took the items from her friend, unfolding the silky fabric from the sphere and holding the former up to the light. In a tenth of a second, her curious smile disappeared, and her mouth fell open in shock.

"Oh…my…god…" she gasped, her eyes never leaving the vibrant blue square.

It was a handkerchief, identical in almost every way to the one that Misty had given Ash on the last day of their journey together. Though perhaps only a simple token of friendship on the outside, her parting gift to her best friend held more meaning than she could ever hope to put into words, and to now have one of her own was a feeling like no other. The edges were gold instead of red, and the sun-shaped pattern in the centre a metallic silver, but the speechless girl instantly thought it more beautiful and impactful than hers had ever been. Just as her vision began to become blurry with tears, the sound of her friend's boyish voice rescued her from her fleeting reverie.

"I forgot to give you that the last time I saw you," he admitted sheepishly. "I've just been carrying it around all this time. But now we've both got one! Isn't that cool?"

Gradually, Misty regained the ability to speak. "But h-how did you…"

"Last year, we saved a girl from a pack of wild mightyena just outside Rustboro City. She invited us back to her house, where it turned out her dad was an embro…uh, embrode…"

"Embroiderer?" she suggested with a small smile.

"Yeah, that's it! Anyway, he offered to, uh, embroiderise something for each of us as thanks for saving his daughter. I can't remember what everyone else got, but I showed him the handkerchief you gave me and asked him to make one just like it. Well, almost just like it; the colours of yours really remind me of you, so I thought I'd change them up a bit so that this one, er, reminded you of me, you know?"

To say that Misty was overjoyed was the understatement of the century. She was almost certain that Ash did not quite understand the connotations of giving a handkerchief to a member of the opposite sex, but the fact that her gift held some sentimental value for him regardless was immensely gratifying for the young girl. As the sudden rush of emotions began to overwhelm her, her eloquence decided to abandon her once again.

"A-Ash, I…I don't know what to say…"

"You don't have to say anything, Mist." He grinned. "That's not even your main present!"

With a start, Misty's eyes travelled back down to the table, focusing on the shining premier ball in front of her. She picked it up carefully, examining her warped reflection in the upper dome of the white sphere.

"You got me…a pokémon?" she asked softly, to which Ash just smiled, holding out his hand.

"Follow me," he said as his blushing friend slipped her smooth, slender hand into his. A minute of crowd-dodging later, and the pair was outside in the heated pokémon enclosure. Ash directed Misty towards the shallow pool at the far end, in which some of her older pokémon were happily splashing about, and let go of her hand as he waved over to Pikachu in the corner. Soon after, he turned back around to face his best friend, a nervous smile on his face.

"Open it," he whispered.

Nodding anxiously, the redhead pointed the ball towards the pool, popping it open and sending a burst of white light spilling out into the water. As soon as the light gave way to a graceful, serpentine form, Misty's scarlet face lit up brighter than a lanturn's lure.

"A MILOTIC!" she screamed in both shock and ecstasy. "OH MY GOD, I'VE WANTED ONE EVER SINCE I VISITED YOU GUYS IN HOENN! IT'S SO BEAUTIFUL AND ELEGANT I THINK I'M GONNA PASS OUT!"

Chuckling, Ash breathed a sigh of relief. "So you like it?"

"I love it! How did you know how much I- wait a second…are milotic always that colour?"

Ash shook his head, grinning widely. "Nope! Lucy told me it's super rare for a milotic to have a golden tail instead of a blue one."

"Lucy? As in the Frontier Brain?" Misty asked, raising an eyebrow in confusion.

"Yeah. After I won my battle against her, I offered to do her a small favour, and in return, she told me all about this hidden cave in the Seafoam Islands where she caught her milotic. Apparently, there's this rare school of them that come and go every year or so, and they just happened to be due to appear around this time. As soon as I heard that, I remembered you saying when you were in Hoenn how much you liked milotic, so I, erm…spent about a week in the cave trying to catch one for you."

Misty gasped, her eyes gradually opening wider and wider.

"That's where I've been this whole time, Mist; that's the reason I didn't get here 'til today. It took so long, but I finally managed to find the perfect one yesterday afternoon, and I set off home as soon as I could afterwards. I know it was selfish of me to ask May and Max to give up their Christmas just for this, but they seemed weirdly okay with it for some reason, and I just, I don't know, really wanted to do this."

Ash's words grew softer towards the end of the sentence, and he looked over at his playing pokémon in order to avoid his friend's gaze. Returning her beautiful present to its pokéball, Misty stared at the ground, her eyes glazing over as she retreated into her racing mind. Ash's admission was an awful lot to take in, and she was not quite sure of how extreme or subdued her reaction to it should be.

"S-So, er…" she began, her voice a little wavy, "you're saying you slept in a cave for a whole week, missing out on Christmas Day and only just getting here in time for New Year, based on some pretty vague advice from someone you barely know…all to c-catch me a milotic for Christmas?"

The pokémon trainer looked into her eyes, a hint of red in cheeks. "Well, um…yeah. You're my best friend, Mist, and we see each other so rarely, so I just wanted to do something kinda special this year, something that I knew you'd, you know, really like."

Misty could not decide whether to be angry or elated. Never before had she received a gift of this magnitude, and especially not from someone as important to her as Ash. It was not long, however, before the girl's instincts took over, taking the form of a violent smack to her unprepared friend's shoulder.

"You stupid idiot! Don't you know how dangerous those caves are?! And in December, too; you're lucky you didn't freeze to death! Honestly, Ketchum, I've got no idea how you've lasted this long without me!"

Ash froze. This was not the reaction he had been expecting. In a decidedly hurt tone, the wounded boy murmured, "I'm s-sorry, Misty. I know it was reckless, but as soon as I saw you with that milotic, you seemed so happy, and I could tell straight away that all of that work I put in was worth it. You're right, though; things are different without you on my journey, and I guess I just wanted to give you something to let you know that, well…I haven't forgotten you."

As if by magic, any inklings of anger that Misty clung to vanished in an instant, her heart melting like butter in her chest. Still acting on instinct, she flung her arms around her best friend's neck and held him as tight as she possibly could.

"That's…the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me," she whispered, shivering at the warmth of his cheek on hers as the startled pokémon trainer began to hug her back just as tightly. "Thank you so much, Ash. You may be ridiculously stubborn and impulsive at times, but you're the best friend anyone could ever hope to have."

"Y-You're welcome, Misty," he replied, his eyes closed peacefully. Gently, they let go of each other, redness in their cheeks and warm smiles on their faces, simply staring off into space before Ash mumbled, "So, er, did you get anything for me?"

The boy's comment was met with another smack to the arm, albeit less serious this time.

"Ash Ketchum, you know you're not supposed to ask that!" she scolded, her hands on her hips disapprovingly. "It's the height of rudeness! Although…" Her expression changed to one infinitely more mischievous. "If you come with me back to the table, there _might_ be a little something under my chair for you."

Ash grinned excitedly. "Awesome! Race ya!"

With that, the chase ensued, the two friends laughing blissfully as they sped across the room like the energetic children they both still were at heart.

Sure enough, when Ash arrived at the table (a mere second after Misty, much to his chagrin), he immediately spotted a neatly wrapped parcel resting against the leg of one of the chairs. The rectangular object fit perfectly in his hand, and as he and Misty sat back down beside each other, the boy noticed a label attached with a bowed ribbon to the front of the wrapping:

 _Happy New Year, Mr. Pokémon Master_

 _From Mist_

"Hey, I didn't know you could read!" Misty joked, surprised that Ash had even noticed the label, much less was taking the time to read it. In truth, her jesting was but a cover-up for her sudden nervousness, her heart pounding as she began to wonder whether or not her gift to Ash would be able to live up to the ones she had received from him moments ago.

The smiling pokémon trainer simply stuck his tongue out at her, however, turning his attention back to his present. The wrapping was difficult to penetrate, with Ash making multiple attempts to attack it from every corner, but eventually was able to make a dent in the delibird-printed wrapping paper, tearing eagerly through it in less than a second. Upon identifying the curious red item in his hand, Ash was unable to hide the bewildered expression on his face.

"My old pokédex?" he questioned, eyeing the familiar object from his youth.

Misty shot a sly smile across at her friend, gesturing for him to persevere. Ash shrugged obligingly before flipping open the casing and pressing the first button he came across. Immediately, the small computer burst to life with a robotic-sounding voice:

" _I'm Dexter, a pokédex unit reprogrammed by Professor Samuel Oak for the capture, storage and transmission of photographic imagery. My function is to commemorate and immortalise the unbreakable friendship between pokémon trainer Ash Ketchum and gym leader Misty Waterflower._ "

The redhead blushed at the professor's rather clinical description of her meaningful gift, while Ash simply remained confused. A moment later, a bright image appeared on the enlarged screen, causing the boy's heart to leap.

In the photograph were two pouting ten-year-olds, a boy and a girl, their backs to each other and their arms folded childishly. Both were looking away from the camera, but their flushed faces were clearly visible at the corners of the screen. Assuming that it was Brock who took the photo, Ash deduced that this was likely the first time he and Misty had ever had their picture taken together.

As the photo faded seamlessly into another, then another, then another, Ash began to find himself enraptured in the patchwork of memories he held in his hand. The images captured some of his and Misty's greatest adventures; the St. Anne, Maiden's Peak, Cleavon Schpielbunk's film set, Shamouti Island, Alto Mare – the list was virtually endless. Although Brock, Tracey or another of their friends made occasional appearances now and then, Ash could not help but notice that the majority of the photos featured only him and his best friend, either beaming happily or looking ready to kill each other. Something about reliving all of these precious moments brought forth a warm, slushy feeling in Ash's chest, his face getting hotter with every new scene that lay before him.

"You turned my original pokédex into a photo album?" he absentmindedly stated after about a minute.

Misty did not know what to make of her friend's somewhat ambiguous question. His blank expression did little to shed light on how he perceived her gift, and the longer he went without saying anything, the more she began to fear the worst. Did he hate it? Was he angry about what she had done to his pokédex? Had she even had the right to deface one of his former most prized possessions like this?

"Ash…" she murmured hesitantly. "I…I d-didn't mean t-"

"THIS IS SO COOL!" he cried, causing his friend to jump about a foot in the air. "How did you even do this?!"

"I saw a kid in Viridian City with one." Misty beamed, her voice airy as she sighed with relief. "So I asked Professor Oak about it, and he helped me find your first pokédex in his store rooms so we could convert it."

Ash held the device up to his face to get a closer look. "This must have taken you ages! How many photos are on here?"

"About two-hundred, I think," she stated with her hands behind her back coyly. "Your mom let me scan loads of the photos she had in her attic. There's also plenty of space left on it for you to take some more."

"Wait, it _takes_ pictures too? Oh my god, we've got to get one right now! Just need to find someone to- oh, Mr. Collins, Mr. Collins, over here!"

A few feet away, a portly middle-aged man made his way over to the duo.

"Why, hello, Ash!" He smiled. "I haven't seen you in years! How is everything?"

Ash scratched his head embarrassedly. "Uh, everything's fine, I guess, thanks. I was just wondering, er, could you take our photo please?"

"Of course! Anything for Delia's little boy." Mr. Collins chuckled as Ash handed him the pokédex. "Say, this camera of yours is awfully complicated. And oh, what's this on the back?"

As the man continued to fiddle with the controls, Ash leaned around to the side to glimpse at what his neighbour was referring to, his breath catching in his throat as soon as he did. Engraved on the back of the casing in beautifully calligraphed gold lettering were the words, 'Best Friends'.

"Did you do that?" he asked, turning to his blushing friend beside him.

"Er, y-yeah," Misty replied shakily. "Well, the professor had a machine that did it…but it was my idea."

"You two must be pretty close," the jolly Mr. Collins mused. "Okay now, say 'eevee'!"

On his signal, Ash and Misty moved in close to each other, placing their arms lightly around each other's waists. The warmth of their bodies in such close proximity sent shivers down each of their spines.

"Eevee!" they cried in unison. A small flash of light later, and a brand new photograph was added to Ash's collection.

"Take care, you two," winked Mr. Collins as he returned the device to Ash. "And watch out for the mistletoe, eh?"

Before either could object to the man's last little implication, he quickly marched off into the crowd and out of sight. Ash looked down at the vibrant photo of him and Misty on the screen, their tiny faces smiling up at him adoringly.

"Thank you for this, Misty," he uttered quietly as he met his friend's intense gaze. "It's perfect."

It seemed that it was now Ash's turn to act on instinct, as he reached forward, taking his best friend's hand and squeezing it gently. Misty's blush intensified tenfold, and it took her a few seconds to muster up the strength to curl her own hand around his.

"No p-problem," she managed to squeak out. As she gradually regained her composure, an idea spontaneously came to her. "Ash…do you want to dance?"

The pokémon trainer cocked his head to the side. "Again? Don't you think this music's a little slow for-"

"Not that kind of dancing," she stopped him, a smile creeping onto her face. "Come with me."

Slowly, she led her best friend by the hand over to the dance floor once again, sighing contently as she realised that so little of what had transpired over the last few hours would have been possible if she had still been confined by her infamous deal.

* * *

The New Year was approaching rapidly, with only fifteen minutes to go until the strike of midnight. Most of the party guests were sat down at tables or on the sofas around the edges of the room, yet the dance floor remained reasonably populous, occupied mainly by older couples due to the gradual mellowing of the music as the evening progressed. In the middle of the floor, Ash and Misty swayed together gently on the spot, Ash's arms around Misty's waist and hers resting on his shoulders. Neither of them said anything for quite a while, simultaneously comfortable with and struck dumb by the activity they were engaging in with each other.

"So…" Misty broke the silence after another few minutes. "Do you know how long you're staying in Pallet Town after the party?"

Ash snapped abruptly out of the trance he had fallen into shortly after their dance had begun. "Erm, just tomorrow I think. We're heading back out so I can challenge the rest of the Frontier Brains."

His answer was far from what she had hoped to hear. "Oh…" she could not help but let slip out.

"What's wrong?" he asked with genuine concern.

Yet, being open about her unhappiness was still not the redhead's strongest suit. "Nothing's wrong!" she snapped. "Why would it be? I totally get it; nothing to do around here anyway, right? It's not like I'd wanna stick around any longer than I had to either!"

For once, it seemed like Ash was not oblivious to his best friend's true feelings. He looked her straight in the eye, a sad smile on his face.

"…It's okay, Mist," he said softly. "I'm going to miss you, too."

The vulnerable girl's heart pulsated in her chest. "You are?"

"Trust me, I'd love to stay a while longer, but, well, Brock's sorted out a schedule for me, and I'm already behind because of how long I spent trying to catch your Christmas present. Plus, those Frontier symbols aren't going to win themselves, right?" He chuckled at the end in an attempt to lighten the mood.

"I will miss you, though, Misty – I always do when I have to leave. But hey, this time I've got your awesome gift to keep me company! I'm travelling through Kanto right now, so whenever I see something that reminds me of our journey, I'll snap a picture of it and send it to the gym. That way, it's sort of like we're still travelling together! How's that sound?"

Though Misty was somewhat embarrassed at making Ash feel like he needed to comfort her, the bright smile that appeared on her face proved to her just how much she appreciated those words of comfort. "I'd like that. Thanks, Ash."

As the duo sank back into a comfortable silence, Misty felt her emotions quietly going into complete overdrive. Ash may have been leaving soon, but the important thing was that he was here right now, in this perfect moment, and after everything that had happened in the last couple of hours, she did not think she had ever loved him more. With that in mind, the fact that the deal was over was one that she was infinitely grateful for. Though letting Ash know how she felt about him would definitely be on the agenda some day, Misty came to the realisation that perhaps she did not need to take that difficult step anytime soon. Ash was her best friend, and she was his, and the feeling of joy this alone granted her was already too invaluable to put into words.

It was only when the peaceful young gym leader looked casually over to her right that she discovered she may have spoken way too soon.

On a sofa against the wall at the edge of the room were Tracey, Gary and Daisy, the former two of which were looking straight at her, pointing exaggeratedly at their watches and grinning evilly. Judging by the amount of empty bottles around them, they were obviously very drunk, a fact only emphasised by the infantile way their eyes darted between her and Ash. Misty's heart leapt when she saw Gary mouthing, "A deal's a deal, Red!" and Tracey demonstrating said point by planting a wet kiss on the giggling Daisy beside him. With a nervous sigh, the redhead gathered that Brock had clearly not updated her teasing friends on the whole 'deal' situation; or, more likely, he had, and they just did not care.

As soon as their words and gestures sunk in, the calmness that Misty had previously been fostering was instantly shattered beyond repair. They were trying to get under her skin, that much she knew, but on some level, as much as she hated to admit it, some of their jesting managed to resonate with the flustered young girl. She _had_ given her word, hadn't she? The deal may have been over for her and Brock, but for them it was still very much alive, and the thought of going back on something she had sworn to do unsettled her in ways she did not even fully understand.

To make matters worse, her tormentors also seemed to have jogged her memory about her ambivalence concerning _the kiss_. Just when she thought she had decided to postpone her 'confession', as it were, a frightening wave of longing and desire bounced around her body, reminding her of the constant war that had been going on between her heart and her head. Maybe she did want to kiss Ash after all…but _should_ she? Amongst the panic and the frustration that threatened to overwhelm her, all Misty could think about were the eerily poignant words that Gary Oak had said to her earlier that day:

" _Win or lose, I don't think you'll be able to resist when the time comes…_ "

"Er, Misty, you okay?" Ash's voice sounded above her internal screaming.

"No…this…this can't be…happening," she panted, releasing herself from his hold and beginning to take wobbly and absentminded steps backwards, her eyes fixed on the sniggering trio across the room in front of her.

"Mist, you're acting kinda weird."

"Got to…with A-Ash…deal…"

With every step she took, her friend began to grow more and more alarmed. It was then that Ash caught sight of something large in the path of her mindless stumbling.

"Misty, watch out for the-"

His warning came a second too late, however, as the dazed girl barrelled straight into one of the buffet tables, knocking it to the ground and flying dramatically over the back. When Ash rushed over to inspect the damage, he found his friend wearing most of the table's former contents.

"Argh…for Mew's sake," Misty coughed, rising to her feet while a number of the startled guests attempted to pat her down with cloths and napkins. Though the accident had seemingly brought her back to reality, her mind was still very much focused on the problem at hand, paying little attention to the stains all over the back of her dress.

"Are you okay?" Ash inquired, a worried look in his eyes.

The furious redhead pushed past him as she stomped towards the sofa at the other end of the room. "I will be, as soon as I kill those jerks over there!"

Yet, before she could get very far, her warpath was suddenly blocked by a swarm of people huddling together on the dance floor.

"Ladies and gentlemen!" Professor Oak's voice echoed through the speakers. "The time is now 11:59; everyone, please your way onto the dance floor to begin the countdown to New Year!"

For some reason, the fact that Tracey, Gary and Daisy were now obscured from her view calmed the embarrassed girl down immensely. Turning back around, she saw Ash, along with May, Max and Delia, gathered around her in anticipation of the grand pinnacle of the night.

"Ooh, I'm so excited!" exclaimed May, while Max looked to share much of his sister's enthusiasm.

Though Ash responded to his younger friends' cries of happiness, his thoughts lingered on Misty, and the bizarre scene he had just witnessed.

"You, er, had me worried for a minute there, Mist," he admitted. "Guess the stress of entering a new year must be getting to you, eh? Oh, er, you've got, um, something in your hair."

Cautiously, he reached out his hand, pinching the unknown fragment of food in her hair between his finger and thumb and gently tugging it loose. His thumb brushed against her temple as he pulled away, causing the girl to break out in another bright blush.

"Er, thanks," she stuttered before the boy turned his attention back to the large timer being projected onto the wall.

"Here it comes, everyone!" Delia chirped in her own motherly fashion. Seconds later, the entire room began to count down.

"Ten! Nine! Eight!"

For Misty, every subsequent number felt like a fierce kick in the stomach. She now had only seconds to make her decision.

"Seven! Six!"

A cold sweat washed over the girl as the moment drew ever closer. On the one hand, she had made a deal, one she had been released from but still felt obliged to carry out her punishment for losing regardless; on the other hand, this was Ash, the boy she had loved for the best part of six years, and as much as she had dreamed of kissing him all throughout that time, the prospect of losing him as a friend if it went badly kept her constantly unsure of how to proceed.

"Five! Four!"

She was running out of time now; she had to make a choice, or else time would make it for her. As fate would have it, however, it was in this moment that Misty's eyes wandered upwards by chance, her stomach doing a backflip when she spotted the familiar branch hanging from the light above hers and Ash's heads. With a defeated sigh, she shook her head in utter disbelief; _Now that's just not fair…_

"Three! Two!"

"A-Ash?" Misty managed to whimper meekly. Although the boy was in the middle of happily chanting the countdown, he turned immediately to face his best friend.

"One! Happy New Ye- mmfph!"

The arrival of the New Year inspired a sudden and unexpected feeling of clarity for the previously conflicted girl, and without allowing herself the opportunity to think again, she leaned forward, grabbing the collar of Ash's jumper and pressing her lips firmly against his. Pleasant chills surged throughout Misty's body, her cheeks burning as hot as the sun, and, for the briefest of moments that the kiss lasted, it was as if she and Ash were the only two people in the world.

When she finally let go, the lightheaded gym leader learned, to her embarrassment, that the majority of the applause she was hearing was not for the New Year, but, in fact, the scene she had just created under the mistletoe. To her right, May and Max were giggling uncontrollably, while Delia was weeping with indescribable joy. In the corner of the room, a grinning Brock leaned leisurely against the wall, joining in the applause as his mouth formed a wide and knowing smile.

"You did it, Misty. You did it."

Needless to say, Ash was beyond stunned. Misty Waterflower, his best friend in the whole world, had just kissed him, on the lips, in front of almost everyone he knew. It took a noticeably awkward length of time for the punch-drunk boy to even regain the ability to speak, let alone form a vaguely coherent sentence.

"M-Misty…" he breathed shakily. "You…I mean, er, I…"

In the midst of his blathering, the reality of what had just happened was beginning to sink in for the panic-stricken Misty. "Oh g-god, I…I'm sorry, I didn't m-mean to…er, I mean I did, 'cause I lost the…it was all their idea! They were laughing at me, and Brock was with Suzie, and then he wasn't with Suzie, and I said I'd…but I didn't know if I wanted to, then…"

The regrettable back-and-forth of Ash and Misty's duel ramblings caused a kind of conversational stalemate for quite some time.

"Misty..." Ash eventually sighed in a slightly more evolved tone. "There's, er, something I need to s-say…"

Coincidentally, Misty's own vocabulary returned to her at that very moment – along with her anger and insecurity. "What? What is it? You hate me, by any chance? You never want to see me again? Do tell me if I'm getting warmer! Well, I guess it's just as well you're leaving soon, isn't it, because now you've got the perfect opportunity to walk away and forget all about m-"

The frantic shaking of Ash's head caused her to halt her tirade in mid-sentence.

"No, no, it's nothing like that!" he pleaded, the deep brown of his eyes locking with the aquamarine of hers. "I was going to say that…when you, um, kissed me…you beat me to it by about a second."

Misty could not believe what she had just heard. "Wh-What?"

He nodded, smiling for the first time since before the kiss. "Remember the last Christmas party we had here, when we were about ten or eleven? We ended up meeting under the mistletoe, and I, well, ran away from you and fell into a table, kinda like you did before, hehe…anyway, I kinda figured that, even after all this time, I still owe you that kiss."

The burst of emotion inside of Misty's chest was unlike anything she had ever felt, and she resisted the urge to slap herself to determine whether or not she was dreaming. Suddenly, it did not matter that most of the room was looking at them, because the words she had just heard from Ash's mouth were ones that she had been waiting to hear for the entire time she had known him.

"Ash, I…" she began, but quickly ran out of breath as soon as she felt her best friend's hand stroking her cheek. Very slowly, the pair began to move toward one another, their faces inching closer and closer, and, just as Misty allowed her eyelids to droop gently over her eyes, their lips finally made contact.

To the lovestruck young girl, this kiss was more meaningful and more enjoyable than the first in every conceivable way. With his hands around her waist and hers on the back of his neck, the pair were closer than they had ever been, and Misty held nothing back, channelling her heart and soul into the soft but passionate feeling of her lips on his. At some point during the embrace, a potent tear rolled down her cheek, a testament to the fact that, in all the 17 years of her life, this very moment was undoubtedly the happiest that she had ever been.

Both Ash and Misty were reluctant to break the kiss, but the lack of oxygen forced them to do so after about a minute. Still holding tightly onto each other, the two best friends shared an intense, heartfelt look. Their current closeness notwithstanding, Misty felt the sudden need to pose the boy an important question.

"When…?" she started, but her breath caught in her throat before she could finish.

Thankfully, though, it appeared that Ash had understood. "Only a few months ago, when I last saw you. I'm not sure what happened, and, to be honest, I still don't really know what to call how I'm, er, feeling…but something inside of me kept telling me that, whether I knew it or not, you've always been more than just a friend to me, Mist."

The elated girl's stomach promptly burst to life with wave upon wave of butterfree. As she noticed Ash give her a look as if to ask her the question back, she let out a contented giggle. "I think I knew from the start. Ever since you stole my bike, I knew you were special, Ash Ketchum, and not just in the head. You changed my life, and I don't know how to thank you for that. I've gone through a lot of different names for how I feel about you, but I guess that, right now, it doesn't matter what we call it. All you need to know is…I feel the same way."

The pair then shared a loving hug before Ash was practically jumped on by his near-delirious mother, granting Misty her first moment to herself since she lost the deal some hours earlier. The last two days had certainly been some of the more turbulent in recent memory, causing the girl untold amounts of stress and anxiety, but to know that everything had somehow worked out in the end – and in a more perfect way than she could ever have imagined – filled her with immeasurable warmth and gratitude. As the crowd around her began to disperse, the distant shapes of Tracey, Daisy and Gary became visible once more, and, looking over, she took great delight in seeing their three matching expressions as they gawked at her speechlessly. Naturally, she could do little to supress the sickeningly smug grin that made its way onto her face, giggling as their bewildered expressions only intensified. In their own individual ways, they had all doubted her ability to hold up her end of the bargain, and with the comfort of knowing that this very doubt was what led to her sharing a kiss with the boy she loved, she could not have been happier to prove them wrong.

Maybe she had ought to make deals with people more often in the future.

* * *

EPILOGUE – Two Perfect Girls

A lone figure wandered out onto the front porch of the laboratory, sitting down on the top step and looking peacefully across at the snowy pastures of Pallet Town.

"Another year alone." He sighed with an accepting smile. "But hey, at least I finally got those two together. What are you gonna do in your free time now, eh, Brocko?"

He laughed to himself blissfully, swilling the small amount of frigid punch around in the bottom of his cup. The snowfall outside had diminished considerably, now only a gentle, wispy layer floating lazily down from the sky, and the chilly air was also less vicious than it had been the last time he had ventured out onto the reserve.

"I wonder if I'll ever find the perfect woman," he continued his thinking out loud, scratching at a clump of ice on the step beside him.

"Maybe you're just not looking in the right places?"

Brock's head snapped forward, squinting his eyes to try and identify the tall figure suddenly making their way up the path towards him. They stopped at his feet, and, under the bright light from the porch, the distinctive shine of the red highlights in their jet-black hair caused the pokémon breeder to gasp in surprise.

"Lucy?"

"In the flesh." She smiled, dusting snow off the shoulders of her purple duffle coat. "I've been looking for you."

Standing bolt upright, Brock blushed in shock. "M-Me? I, er…how'd you know I'd be here? Er, in Pallet Town, I mean?"

"Your friend, Ash," Lucy explained. "He told me about this when you came to the Battle Pike, and I showed him where to find the perfect milotic for the girl he liked. Did it work?"

"Huh? Oh, er, yeah, like a charm! They're in there right now, making out like there's no tomorrow."

The Pike Queen laughed. "I'm glad to hear it! Sounds like it's definitely been a happy New Year for those two, then."

After a small smile from the pokémon breeder, a short silence passed before Lucy spoke up again, a hint of redness in her cheeks. "So, er, do you wanna go for a walk?"

Brock was both surprised and flattered by the woman's offer. "I…really?"

"Yeah, why not? I passed an area on the way here that looks so beautiful and peaceful in the snow."

She held out her gloved hand for Brock to take, only for the man's blush to spread wider across his face. Eventually, he accepted the gesture, grasping her hand and walking silently with her down the path and out of the lab towards the empty streets. Once they were halfway down the road, the giddy smile that Brock had been too afraid to unleash until this moment was finally free to surface, and he remained that way for some time after.

Perhaps this year would be his year after all.

FIN


End file.
